European Council President António Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Lefkosia on 23 April ahead of an informal meeting of EU leaders.
The three leaders welcomed the adoption on 23 April of a Ukraine Support Loan worth €90 billion for 2026 and 2027, after EU leaders agreed the plan in December, according to a joint statement released by the Council of the EU.
The loan is intended to help Ukraine meet “urgent budgetary and defence needs” during Russia’s attacks.
They called for swift implementation and said they expected the first disbursement in the second quarter, while also urging third countries to help cover remaining gaps in Ukraine’s finances.
The leaders also welcomed the adoption of the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia, saying it targets Russian energy revenues, the banking system and “shadow fleet” operations — a term used for ships accused of helping Russia move oil and other goods outside restrictions, the statement said.
EU accession and rebuilding energy infrastructure
The three presidents said Ukraine had made “significant progress” on its path towards joining the EU and called for negotiation “clusters” to be opened without delay — the themed groups used to organise talks on aligning a candidate country’s laws with EU rules, according to the statement.
They also welcomed legislation passed by Ukraine’s parliament that they said would unlock more funding under the Ukraine Facility, an EU funding programme for Ukraine.
The EU reiterated its commitment to support urgent repairs and rebuilding of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure ahead of next winter.
Ahead of the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, the leaders also called for nuclear safety and security in Europe and urged Russia to stop attacks and end its occupation of nuclear facilities in Ukraine.
The statement also welcomed the announcement of a High-Level Meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, to be co-hosted by the EU, Ukraine and Canada on 11 May in Brussels.
