On 23 June, the Foreign Affairs Council convened to address the issue of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, joined the meeting in person to provide EU ministers with essential updates on ongoing diplomatic initiatives, the current situation on the ground, and Ukraine’s most pressing priorities.
“We all support the efforts to achieve a ceasefire, but Russia is escalating the frequency and intensity of its attacks. Just last night, we had again in Kyiv five casualties. This demands we respond with strength,” Kaja Kallas, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and President of the Foreign Affairs Council, said.
Subsequently, the Council engaged in discussions regarding military support for Ukraine. The High Representative reported that member states’ pledges already accounted for 80% of the goal established by the two-million-round ammunition initiative.
Furthermore, EU ministers examined the 18th package of individual and economic sanctions against Russia, which is currently under deliberation. They also addressed Russia’s hybrid actions targeting European countries, based on a comprehensive briefing provided by Daniel Markić, the Director of EU INTCEN.
“Good meeting with @kajakallas. We discussed the next steps for the EU to increase sanctions pressure on Russia. We expect them to be really strong and hurt Putin’s war budget. We also discussed the need to advance Ukraine’s EU accession. I emphasised that Ukraine met all of the requirements to open the first negotiation cluster and that one country obstructing the process is unacceptable. I appreciate the EU’s strong support, particularly in the defence area, and thank Kaja for her personal leadership,” Minister Andrii Sybiha posted on X after the meeting.
