On Tuesday, March 31, under the co-chairmanship of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, an informal ministerial meeting of the EU took place—a format first held in Kyiv in October 2023.
The event became an important signal that despite the emergence of new crises and dynamic geopolitical changes, the European Union remains fully focused on supporting Ukraine.
The event's program began with a visit to the city of Bucha, aimed at emphasizing that the issue of Russia's responsibility for the crimes committed has a very concrete dimension rather than a theoretical one and is an integral part of achieving a just and lasting peace.
During the meeting, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the European ministers. “Only by protecting the truth and restoring justice will the world have a chance for a peaceful future,” emphasized the President of Ukraine.
The event was also attended by representatives of the Ukrainian Government: Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal, Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister for Veterans Affairs Natalia Kalmykova, and other Ukrainian officials.
Within the framework of the meeting, the parties discussed a wide range of issues on the Ukraine-EU agenda, including the issue of Ukraine's accession to the European Union, support from member states, and the strengthening of Russia's isolation.
Andrii Sybiha emphasized the importance of maintaining opposition to Russian aggression among the key priorities of the international agenda “at a time when the world's attention is focused on the Middle East”.
“This is a full-scale war in the center of Europe. A war against Europe,” he emphasized. The Foreign Minister noted that the security of Ukraine and the EU is indivisible. Yesterday's European Commission decision regarding EDIP and Ukraine's role in the SAFE instrument clearly confirm this. The Minister emphasized Ukraine's role as an important security partner for European states and other countries of the world. According to him, Ukraine's involvement in the Middle East demonstrates our state's ability to propose concrete and effective solutions.
Following the meeting, Andrii Sybiha reported on the official announcement by Germany, the United Kingdom, and Moldova of their readiness to join the Agreement on the creation of a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. According to the Minister, 13 member states of the Council of Europe and one country outside of it are already ready to join the agreement.
“We count on a significantly wider circle of participants. 16 is only the legal minimum. I call on all colleagues to work actively on expanding this list of states. I hope that additional announcements will be made in the coming days. We are actively working on this,” he emphasized.
The Minister also noted the leading role of the Council of Europe and its Secretary General Alain Berset in the process of creating the Special Tribunal.
Andrii Sybiha emphasized the necessity of increasing pressure on Russia to end the aggression and restore peace. According to him, the “security first” approach must finally replace the “business as usual” policy, as security should become the key criterion for decision-making.
“Delaying the adoption of the 20th EU sanctions package means only one thing—the postponement of peace in Europe. We once again call for its adoption as soon as possible,” he noted.
An important issue of the discussion was the launch of the Ukraine Support Loan financial instrument amounting to 90 billion euros. The Minister emphasized the importance of its unblocking and expressed hope that Ukraine would receive the first tranche soon.
Separately, the Foreign Ministers discussed ways to accelerate Ukraine's accession to the EU. Andrii Sybiha stated Ukraine's readiness to fulfill all necessary requirements and supported a merit-based approach counting in real achievements.
The Foreign Minister particularly noted the importance of holding a separate session of the meeting dedicated to veteran policy and support for the reintegration of veterans and Ukrainians who have undergone captivity. At this session, Minister Kalmykova, veteran Ruslan Topchan, and human rights activist and former Kremlin prisoner Maksym Butkevych addressed the EU ministers, emphasizing the importance of European support.
Andrii Sybiha emphasized that this is the first time within a European ministerial meeting that the topic of veteran policy and reintegration has received such attention and detailed discussion. He expressed gratitude to the EU side, and especially to Croatia, for supporting these efforts.
On the sidelines of the meeting, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha, and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas familiarized themselves with the activities of the “Pivnyk” charitable foundation. The meeting took place at the initiative of Minister Andrii Sybiha, who invited the foundation to join the event.
The team of the humanitarian initiative outlined the key areas of work and the specifics of their activities, which consist of providing specialized medical care to military personnel with hearing impairments, including performing operations and providing a full recovery cycle at the expense of charitable contributions. Special attention was paid to the possibilities of further supporting humanitarian efforts and expanding international partnerships to help Ukrainian military personnel and veterans.
In conclusion, the Minister thanked Ukraine's European allies for their comprehensive support and provided assistance.
The joint work of Kyiv and Brussels continues to bring a just peace closer for the entire European community.