Kyiv is the first visit of EU foreign ministers

This is the first informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Ukraine, Delphi confirmed the press representative of G. Landsbergis, Paulina Levickytė.

The ministers will meet with Ukrainian officials and discuss the country’s needs in countering Russian aggression.

EU Foreign Affairs Commissioner J. Borrell said that the visit is a demonstration of support for Ukraine.

This is the first time that such a meeting of representatives of all 27 EU countries will take place in a non-EU country, Mr. Borrell said. He also arrived in Ukraine already on Saturday.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 such a large group of foreign politicians had never visited Kyiv in February. As is usual in war, such trips are not announced in advance.

By the way, Poland delegated its deputy minister to the talks in Kyiv. Relations between neighboring countries are currently clouded by Warsaw’s decision to ban Ukrainian grain imports. Not a minister, but only a senior diplomat is expected from Russia-friendly Hungary.

As one of the topics of the meeting, Mr. Borrell mentioned his proposal to make long-term financial commitments for military support to Ukraine and the EU, including funding for modern fighter jets and missiles. Mr. Borrell wants from 2024 to 2027. to mobilize 5 billion annually euros. However, no decision is expected at the meeting in Kyiv. Political discussions take place in such informal meetings.

The meeting may also discuss the prospect of Ukraine joining the EU. Country from 2022 is officially an EU candidate in June. All 27 EU countries must take a unanimous decision on the start of negotiations. One of the conditions for Ukraine is a stronger fight against corruption.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis hopes that the European Union (EU) ministerial meeting in Kyiv will dispel doubts and send a clear message about Western support to Ukraine.

“I hope that today’s meeting will dispel all doubts about the support for Ukraine and send a clear message that Europe will do everything for Ukraine’s victory and will confirm it with real actions.

I believe that we can say that we are very seriously committed to the development of the European Union, to continuous military aid to Kyiv”, said the head of Lithuanian diplomacy before the start of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.

The politician indicated that the Western world must pay attention not only to the Russian threat, but also to other dangerous authoritarian regimes. According to G. Landsbergis, global unrest is an interrelated event.

“We have to worry not only about Russia, but also about other dictators, other authoritarian regimes, who are closely watching how the West will react to a protracted war against Ukraine. Will we be able to rally our forces and counter authoritarian Russia in a way that others with their own agendas will also appreciate? I think that the unrest that we see in the Western Balkans, in the South Caucasus, in the Sahel – I don’t think that they are individual and unrelated. I think they are related”, said G. Landsbergis.

“If Ukraine does not win, we will only see more of this,” he predicted.
On Monday, G. Landsbergis will take part in the informal meeting of EU affairs ministers held for the first time in Ukraine. EU ministers will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleb, as well as other officials.

During the meeting, EU ministers will discuss security obligations and support for Kyiv, President V. Zelensky’s proposal for the Peace Formula.
A separate meeting of the ministers of the North-Baltic countries with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine D. Kuleba is also planned in Kyiv.