The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has claimed this Thursday to the partners of the European Union a substantial reinforcement of economic and military support in the face of the war with Russia, focusing on the supply of air defense and anti-ballistic systems, during a meeting with the European ambassadors accredited in Kiev.
The meeting was attended by the diplomatic representatives of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, France, Croatia, the Czech Republic, and Sweden, in addition to the ambassador of the European Union in Ukraine and the head of the Community Advisory Mission in the country.
The discussions have focused on Ukraine's most urgent financial and security needs, the strengthening of its air defense capabilities, the opening of the four pending negotiation chapters in the EU accession process, and the intensification of sanctions against Russia.
Zelensky began his speech by thanking the European support since the beginning of the large-scale invasion launched by Russia in February 2022. "I feel very proud of the relationships that unite us with you, with your countries and, of course, with your peoples," he stated, conveying his "deep gratitude" to the European leaders and citizens for their continued support for Ukraine.
The head of the Ukrainian state also informed about the meeting held this Thursday in Brussels between Ukrainian representatives and the European Commission to analyze the financing and defense needs corresponding to 2026 and 2027.
As he explained, there is a shared vision regarding the economic and military situation of the country, about the lack of resources, and about possible solutions to address it. "We understand what measures can and will be taken by both parties, and we have the political will to do so," Zelensky pointed out, highlighting the consensus around the financing for 2026 and the support planned for 2027.
The Ukrainian president took the opportunity to inform the European ambassadors of the satisfactory result of the test carried out this Thursday with the Ukrainian tactical ballistic missile FP-7.
He added that Kiev has made progress in designing its own defense system against ballistic missiles, although he emphasized that funding remains key for its deployment. In his opinion, Ukraine also needs additional resources to produce interceptors capable of neutralizing Russian drones powered by reactors.
In this context, he has asked European states to support the use of 20 billion euros from unspent funds from the SAFE program (Action for the Security of Europe) to allocate them to defense projects linked to Ukraine.
The president has argued this request due to the intensity of Russian attacks and the urgency of protecting both the civilian population and the essential infrastructure of the country.
"You can witness these massive attacks yourselves. Our army urgently needs the means to protect the population," he emphasized, before listing among the objectives that Kiev aims to safeguard critical infrastructure, bridges, educational centers and universities, logistics centers, mobile phone operators, and data centers, among others.
Zelenski calls for maintaining pressure on Russia
Another focus of the meeting has been the sanctions regime against Moscow. In this regard, Zelenski has argued that restrictive measures should not be lifted while Russia does not take concrete steps towards peace and has urged to prepare new sanction packages.
The leader has also revealed that he has already tasked his team with drafting a new list of Russian oligarchs likely to be included in the sanctions and has indicated that this list has already been prepared and sent to the European teams. "I have instructed my team to prepare a new list of Russian oligarchs, and we already have it. We have prepared it and delivered it to their teams," he explained, specifying that Kiev will also include people who were previously left off the lists but who, in his words, "we have not forgotten."
In Zelenski's view, the new measures should also include sanctions linked to anti-ballistic capabilities, in addition to other packages of restrictions.
Plans for "the near future"
During the meeting, the president and European diplomats also analyzed how to strengthen support for Ukraine in light of the increasing tensions with Russia and the difficulties the country may face during the upcoming winter.
The meeting also included a block dedicated to the internal reform program. Zelensky emphasized the importance of approving the legislative projects that Ukraine needs to access the committed funding and assured that the authorities are working to meet those requirements.
However, he has demanded that the process take into account the exceptional circumstances arising from the war and, in particular, the conditions under which the Ukrainian Parliament carries out its work.
At the close of the meeting, the president reiterated his gratitude to the heads of mission of the member states and their governments for the support provided to Ukraine, and proposed to hold a new meeting with them "in the near future."