Zelensky to join EU summit remotely after invitation from Costa
European Council President Antonio Costa has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to participate in the discussion of Ukrainian issues at the EU leaders' summit in Brussels on 18 December. However, a personal visit of the Ukrainian president is not planned at the moment and participation is likely to take place via video link.
A senior EU official familiar with the preparations for the summit said. According to the official, the invitation was sent officially, but due to logistical reasons, Zelenskyy is likely to join remotely. The final format of participation is yet to be confirmed, and the working teams are in constant contact.
According to sources, the Ukrainian side is not set to travel to Brussels, also due to restrained expectations from the summit results. At the same time, Kyiv expects important decisions on further financial support to be made.
EU leaders are expected to discuss funding for Ukraine for 18–19 December, in particular, the use of 2026–2027, including the use of 210 billion euros of frozen Russian assets. The negotiations are complicated by the position of Belgium, which insists on guarantees from other EU states in case of possible legal risks.
The day before, Zelensky said that Ukraine expects to gradually use the entire volume of frozen Russian assets to cover urgent budgetary and defence needs in the coming years.
