Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday in Dublin, where he briefed them on his recent discussions in Abu Dhabi.
The talks took place on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit. According to Zelenskyy, writing on X, he used the meeting to inform the two EU leaders about the negotiations held in the Emirati capital.
The Ukrainian president stressed that Europe must have a full seat at the table in any negotiations with Moscow. "Europeans were present in separate formats, and it is important that Europe be fully represented in the negotiation track with the Russians," he said, adding that this matters "especially when it comes to security in Europe, support for Ukraine from Europe, and any commitments Europe will undertake."
The three leaders also reviewed agreements with the European Union on additional assistance to help Ukraine get through the winter months. Zelenskyy said Kyiv anticipates concrete deliveries soon. "We expect to receive energy and humanitarian assistance packages, as well as assistance with shelters, in the near future," he said.
Ukraine's path toward EU membership was another item on the agenda. The sides coordinated their positions on opening the final two negotiating clusters and on the steps that will follow in the accession process.
Zelenskyy urged speed and fairness in that work. "We need to find the swiftest and fairest possible solutions, as our people who are defending all of Europe deserve," he said.
The Dublin meeting came amid a flurry of diplomatic activity. Talks in Moscow between Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump's special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, had previously concluded, and the two envoys were expected to arrive in Dublin later on Thursday to meet Zelenskyy.
According to Axios, the United States has asked Russia to put forward a new proposal for a future security agreement with Europe, one that would include Russian steps aimed at easing tensions.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has since floated ideas for a new European security architecture, proposing that non-aggression pacts be concluded with NATO member states.
