BRUSSELS, Oct. 16 — European Union (EU) leaders vowed Friday to continue financial and military support for Ukraine, and reaffirmed their commitment to advancing its EU accession process, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joined the second day of an EU summit here.
The bloc must increase its support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia to bring Moscow to the negotiating table, said European Council President Antonio Costa. “This is no time to withdraw the support to Ukraine.
This is no time to relieve Russia’s sanctions,” Costa told reporters alongside Zelensky and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Von der Leyen said the EU was working on its 22nd package of sanctions against Russia, accusing Moscow of failing to respect an energy ceasefire proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The EU leaders also discussed Ukraine’s preparations for the coming winter and its financial and military needs for 2026 and 2027. Zelensky thanked the EU for its continued support and said Ukraine’s top priority was securing energy supplies ahead of winter, along with air defense systems and funding.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also called for stronger support for Ukraine ahead of winter, while acknowledging Europe’s dependence on U.S. military technology. “Starlink is really necessary for Ukraine, and unfortunately, in the short term Europe can’t replace this capability,” Kallas told reporters ahead of the summit.
She also acknowledged difficulties in coordinating with Washington over the conflict, saying the EU was trying to persuade its American partners to increase pressure on Russia. Costa and von der Leyen reaffirmed their support for Ukraine’s EU accession, welcoming the opening of two additional negotiating clusters.
Von der Leyen said the goal was to open the final two clusters by the end of the year, while Zelensky pledged to continue implementing necessary reforms. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
