Situation in Ukraine at forefront of discussions – President Zelenskyy invited to European Council summit

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been invited to the European Council summit, which will take place on December 19.

This is stated in the invitation letter to the leaders of the European Union countries from the new President of the European Council, António Costa.

He recalled that he recently returned from a visit to Kyiv, which took place on the first day of his inauguration.

"The situation in Ukraine will be at the forefront of our discussions. I have just returned from a visit to Kyiv, on the first day of my mandate. We need to stand with Ukraine for as long as necessary and do whatever it takes for Russia’s invasion to be defeated and international law to prevail," the European politician noted.

According to him, the December European Council summit is an "important opportunity" to send a clear message of support to Ukraine in achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace:

"I have invited President Zelenskyy to come to Brussels on the occasion of the meeting of the European Council to share with us the latest developments on the ground and his views on how Europe can best support Ukraine," the European Council President stressed.

Costa clarified that the discussion with Zelenskyy is to take place after the traditional exchange of views between European Council members at the beginning of the summit. After that, the Council will hold a debate on Ukraine, where it will take stock of the situation and discuss "the best way to live up to our commitments to the Ukrainian people."