Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Photo: Getty Images
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Ukraine has said that it expects the European Union not to impose additional or excessive demands during talks on EU financial support and Ukraine’s membership negotiations.
Source: Zelenskyy speaking at the ceremonial opening of Cyprus’ presidency of the Council of the EU in Nicosia on 7 January, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Ukraine does not want the EU to set excessive conditions in exchange for financial support.
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“This is a presidency from which we all expect a great deal,” Zelenskyy said of Cyprus’ presidency of the Council of the EU, which will last from 1 January to 30 June 2026.
Zelenskyy said that above all, Ukraine hopes that it will be during Cyprus’ presidency that the implementation of the financial support package for Ukraine – which he described as a package that “strengthens our resilience, and with it the resilience of all of Europe” – will begin.
Quote: “We need a practical mechanism that will allow these funds to genuinely help Ukraine. This mechanism must, of course, be designed not to create problems, but to reduce the challenges we are already facing.”
More details: Zelenskyy added that Ukraine “is doing everything it needs to do in the negotiation process”.
Quote: “We expect that no additional or excessive demands will be made of Ukraine.
We are grateful for what the president [Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides] said: we should aim to open the negotiating clusters for Ukraine and for our friends, Moldova, simultaneously during your presidency, and this is a strong and positive ambition.”
Background:
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Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides has promised that Cyprus will make support for Ukraine a priority of its presidency of the Council of the EU, which began on 1 January.
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On 7 January, Zelenskyy held a bilateral meeting with Christodoulides in Nicosia, at which they discussed the opening of negotiating clusters for Ukraine, sanctions against Russia, and Cyprus’ participation in programmes supporting Ukraine.
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It has also been reported that the European Commission and the Council of the EU are working to finalise the legal framework for providing Ukraine with a €90 billion loan over the next two years.
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