EU leaders say they have made “good progress” to find “a just and lasting peace” in Ukraine.
This was the message to emerge on Monday after they met in the Swiss city of Geneva.
The meeting discussed the latest US plan for settling the war in Ukraine.
Afterwards, a statement was issued by EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
It reads:
“An efficient and coordinated European engagement, as well as a strong European presence in Geneva has allowed us to make good progress in the negotiations for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
“While work remains to be done, there is now a solid basis for moving forward. As we do, we must remain united and keep placing Ukraine’s best interests at the centre of our efforts. This is about the security of our entire continent, now and in the future. Today’s meeting in Luanda reaffirmed that we are united in our support of Ukraine.”
European leaders had earlier criticised the 28-point peace plan when it emerged last week, saying it was too favourable to Russia.
Since then, several media outlets, including Reuters news agency, have reported the text of an alternative plan drafted by Kyiv’s European allies.
The EU leaders’ statement on Monday continued,
“These are our core European principles moving forward: Ukraine’s territory and sovereignty must be respected. Only Ukraine as a sovereign country can make decisions regarding their armed forces, the choice of their destiny is in their own hands.”
The EC head continued,
“I also want to emphasise Europe’s centrality in the country’s future. We will engage further tomorrow with our partners from the Coalition of the Willing.”
It added,
“Finally, today I raised again the plight of abducted and missing Ukrainian children. Each and every one of them must come home. I was glad to see this topic resonated with the leaders.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine will again be high on the agenda for MEPs who meet in Strasbourg this week.
On Wednesday, MEPs will debate the ongoing perceived threats to EU airspace and critical infrastructure said to be posed by Russia and Belarus.
The debate follows incidents such as Lithuania closing border crossings after detecting smuggling balloons drifting into its airspace from Belarus, as well an act of alleged sabotage in Poland resulting in a blast on a railway line used for carrying aid deliveries for Ukraine, also frequented by passenger trains.
An ECR group spokesman continued,
“These events form part of Russia’s broader hybrid warfare strategy, aimed at destabilising Europe and undermining NATO amid its ongoing aggression against Ukraine.”
“Russia is employing increasingly sophisticated methods to pressure the West, and Europe must move from reactive defence to proactive security. The ECR strongly condemns these actions and calls on the EU to take concrete steps to strengthen its resilience against hybrid threats, safeguard citizens and borders, and uphold freedom and security across the continent.”
On Tuesday, Parliament is set to approve the first-ever European defence industry programme (EDIP), designed to strengthen the EU’s defence industry and increase defence support for Ukraine.
The initiative is intended to ensure that Europe’s defence industry can deliver equipment reliably and at scale, replacing earlier emergency measures used after Russia’s invasion.
It provides €1.5 billion for 2025–2027 and introduces the Fund to Accelerate Supply Chains Transformation (FAST), designed to reinforce critical supply chains, including ammunition production and essential components.
The compromise reached, which confirms a budget of €1.5 billion, allows for the participation of allied partners of up to 35% of the components and maintains a derogation for the production of ammunition and missiles until 2033.
An EU source told this site,
“This has significantly improved compared to Parliament’s initial proposal and reflects a more balanced and industrially credible vision of Europe’s defence.”
