Costa, Von der Leyen and Zelenskyy meet in Cyprus

On 23 April, President of the European Council António Costa, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a trilateral meeting in Lefkosia, Cyprus, before the informal meeting of the EU Heads of State or Government.

The Presidents welcomed the adoption of the €90 billion loan for 2026 and 2027 by the co-legislators on 23 April. The Ukraine Support Loan will ensure that Ukraine can meet its urgent budgetary and defence needs, enabling the country to remain resilient in the face of ongoing Russian attacks. 

“Today is a good day – for Ukraine and for Europe. You might recall, Volodymyr, that when I visited Kyiv in February this year, I said we will deliver on the €90 billion loan one way or the other. Today, we deliver on this promise,” Ursula von der Leyen said at the press conference after the meeting. “I think it is possible to disburse the first tranche of €45 billion, which are assigned for 2026, still this quarter. We have agreed that one-third of the loan goes to budgetary needs and two-thirds go into defence. The first package will be a drones package – drones from Ukraine, for Ukraine.”

The Presidents also welcomed the adoption of the 20th sanctions package, aiming to reduce Russia’s energy revenues, constrain its banking system, and curb shadow fleet operations. The Presidents underscored the necessity of applying further pressure on Russia to cease its aggression and engage in meaningful negotiations towards peace.

“The more Russia doubles down on its war of aggression, the more Europe doubles down on supporting Ukraine. That is important for us. Because we are clear about standing by your side and by the side of the Ukrainian people,” von der Leyen said. 

António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen commended the significant progress Ukraine has made on its EU accession path. They called for the opening of negotiation clusters without delay. 

The Presidents also welcomed the recent adoption of necessary legislation by the Ukrainian Parliament that will unlock further funding under the Ukraine Facility. They highlighted the reform progress Ukraine has achieved so far under challenging circumstances and called for further efforts.

The top EU officials reaffirmed the Union’s commitment to support Ukraine, in coordination with international partners, in urgently repairing and rebuilding its energy infrastructure and strengthening the resilience of its energy system in view of next winter. 

Ahead of the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, the Presidents recalled the importance of nuclear safety and security in Europe and called on Russia to stop its attacks and occupation of nuclear facilities in Ukraine.

Finally, the Presidents welcomed the announcement of the High-Level Meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, co-hosted by the EU, Ukraine and Canada, on 11 May in Brussels.

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