The first train of the new European Commission left for Kiev

Brussels – The EU institutions are renewing their focus on Ukraine. On the day the new European Commission took office (1 December), High Representative Kaja Kallas, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, and the newly-appointed President of the European Council António Costa travelled to Kyiv to reaffirm Brussels’ unwavering support at the outset of its new institutional mandate.

“I think it is very symbolic and shows that Ukraine is very important also to the incoming Commission,” Kallas stated ahead of the meting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Her remarks left no doubt about the intentions of the new EU High Representative: “Ukraine will win, and we are here with you,” Kallas continued, adding that “there is definitely more to come, there is unity on European level that we have to support Ukraine”.

After more than a thousand days of war on Ukrainian soil, “support” entails providing “more weapons, ammunitions, soldiers’ training” to Ukraine, in order to “do everything to stop Russia,” also considering that the Kremlin’s army “would be much weaker in this war without the help of China, Iran and North Korea.” Kallas further emphasised that “it is actually much wider global issue,” and this why “we also intend to reach out to our global partners to really emphasise what is at stake here.”

“We come here to say directly to the Ukrainian people: we have stood with you since the very first day of this war of aggression and you can count on us to continue to stand with you,” President Costa stated during the joint press conference with Ukrainian President Zelensky: “These are not just words. We will continue giving humanitarian, economic, diplomatic, military and energy assistance.”

Costa recalled that–starting next mont–”we plan to provide, for a full year, every month, 1,5 billion euros of assistance,” funding that “comes from the proceeds of Russia’s frozen assets and can also be used for military purposes.” Moreover, “we are preparing a 15th sanctions package against Putin’s regime,” aiming to “increase the pressure on the Russian economy and further weaken Russia’s ability to wage war.”

The President of the European Council promised that “together, will work to open at least two clusters of your accession negotiations during the first semester of next year,” while “gradual integration is starting in different policy areas, such as roaming.” The meeting with Zelensky is scheduled for the first European Council summit presided over by Costa, set for 19–20 December: “I am looking forward to seeing you in Brussels at the next European Council in two weeks.”

EU support for Ukraine

Since February 2022, the EU and its Member States have provided over €143 billion in financial, military, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and its refugees, in addition to $50 billion pledged by G7 countries by 2026. In February 2024, the Ukraine Facility allocated €50 billion for recovery, reconstruction, modernisation, and reforms. In July, the EU made its first payment of €1.5 billion to Kyiv from frozen Russian assets.

Of the total support, more than €93 billion has been directed to economic aid, €33 billion to military assistance, and €17 billion to humanitarian support of the 4.2 million Ukrainian refugees granted temporary protection within the EU. The European Union has also delivered over 152,000 tonnes of essential goods, including medical supplies, mobile hospitals, school buses, and 8,500 power generators. Additional measures include €65 million for school meals for Ukrainian children, repairing energy infrastructure ahead of winter, and reinvesting revenues from immobilised Russian assets into military production

Moreover, Brussels is supporting Ukraine’s efforts to join the European Union. Four days after the start of Russia’s war of aggression, on 28 February 2022, Ukraine submitted its request for “immediate” EU membership. On 23 June 2022, the European Council endorsed the European Commission’s recommendation to grant Kyiv candidate status. In the 2023 Enlargement Package, the Commission also recommended that the Council open accession negotiations, a decision taken during the EU leaders’ summit on 14 December. Finally, following the EU Council’s approval of the negotiating frameworks on 21 July 2024, the first intergovernmental conferences took place today, 25 June, in Luxembourg.