Volodymyr Zelensky is poised to make a surprise appearance at a European Union summit to demand progress on Ukraine’s membership application.
The Ukrainian president is seeking to capitalise on the electoral defeat of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, the bloc’s leading Kremlin ally.
Mr Zelensky will arrive in Cyprus seeking concessions from his EU counterparts after capitulating to demands from Brussels to resume flows of Russian oil to central Europe in order to unblock a €90bn (£78bn) loan.
Mr Zelensky agreed to resume flows of Russian oil to central Europe in order to unblock a €90bn (£78bn) loan – TETIANA DZHAFAROVA
He had been scheduled to join an informal leaders’ dinner in Nicosia via video link, but officials now believe he is planning to attend in person on Thursday.
The last-minute decision to make the trip was first reported by the Financial Times.
Mr Zelensky travels outside Ukraine when he sees an opportunity to secure fresh backing for his country’s war efforts.
He is also trying to push Ukraine back up the global agenda with most countries now more engaged with Donald Trump’s war on Iran and rising energy prices.
European leaders are expected to finalise a loan to Kyiv on Wednesday after Mr Orbán agreed to drop his long-standing veto over the scheme.
2204 EU loan breakdown
The outgoing Hungarian prime minister had been blocking the scheme until Ukraine agreed to resume flows of Russian oil to his country through the Druzhba pipeline, which was taken offline earlier this year following a Russian strike.
After mounting pressure from Brussels, Mr Zelensky relented and agreed to have a pumping station repaired to allow deliveries of crude to be restarted.
Kyiv informed MOL Group, a Hungarian oil and gas company, on Wednesday that flows would resume through the pipeline within hours.
An EU diplomat told The Telegraph the loan would be signed off “whenever oil starts flowing”.
Mr Zelensky will then seek to capitalise on the decision. The Telegraph understands he will probably demand that Brussels formally opens negotiations about Ukraine’s accession to the bloc.
“It is entirely fair to open negotiation clusters on our EU membership – technically, Ukraine is already fully prepared,” Mr Zelensky said on Tuesday, after speaking with Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission’s president.
He was referring to the technical process also being blocked by Hungary under the leadership of Mr Orbán.
While Peter Magyar, Hungary’s incoming prime minister, is unlikely to drop every one of his predecessor’s anti-Ukraine policies, he will attempt to reset relations with Kyiv.
Peter Magyar, Hungary’s incoming prime minister, will attempt to reset relations with Kyiv – Denes Erdos/The Associated Press
Mr Zelensky wants to secure fast-tracked accession to the EU as part of the membership talks.
However, this plan was rejected by a growing number of member states, including some of Ukraine’s most ardent supporters.
Instead, France and Germany are proposing an “associate membership”, which will grant Kyiv access to key meetings but not afford it voting rights or certain funding.
Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, rejected the idea his country would accept partial membership as part of a pre-accession deal.
“[The] position is clear: no ‘ersatz membership’ – we will not accept any of them. This is a firm position,” he said on Tuesday.
“It seems to me that our partners understand this, they understand our position. And let’s focus on the requirements we need to meet on our way to EU membership, adhering to the criteria.”