European leaders gathered in Brussels for a high-stakes summit on Thursday, with top officials warning that the situation in Ukraine is critically grave and that discussions with American partners remain very difficult. Arriving at the European Council building, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters that there are no signs from Moscow indicating a willingness to stop the war or enter into genuine truce negotiations.
Kallas emphasized the urgent need to support Ukraine through an expected harsh winter, highlighting that frozen Russian assets should not be returned unless Moscow pays reparations. She noted that the bloc is attempting to convince American partners to increase pressure on Moscow, though coordination with US allies has proven challenging. Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered an unequivocal message regarding restrictive measures against Russia, declaring that the EU will not lift any sanctions unless the war comes to an end.
Von der Leyen accused Russia of escalating attacks and violating energy ceasefires, making it clear that the bloc will not offer concessions despite external pressures. Discussions at the summit also focused on defining Ukraine's path toward EU membership by opening additional negotiating clusters before the end of the year, alongside deploying financial assistance packages.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin called for a robust European response to meet Ukraine's severe pressures, urging the deployment of the EU loan mechanism as soon as possible and a clearer medium-term landscape regarding immobilized assets. Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs framed the geopolitical stakes bluntly, telling reporters that maintaining European comfort and security requires sustained backing for Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked what he described as real leaders for their continued backing and stressed the absolute necessity of preparing both energy and defense infrastructure for the winter months. He added that Ukraine desires a swift end to the conflict but sees no indication from the Russian side that they are ready to stop fighting. Echoing this firm stance, European leaders reiterated that this is not the time to withdraw support or relieve economic pressure on Moscow.