Cyprus takes over EU Council presidency: Zelenskyy says Ukraine expects strong decisions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a phone call with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides on the day Cyprus began its presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Censor.NET reports this, citing the head of state’s post on X.
During the call, Zelenskyy congratulated his Cypriot counterpart on the start of the presidency and stressed Ukraine’s expectations for decisive and effective steps by the European Union over the next six months. The president emphasized that it is important for Ukraine to remain among the key priorities on the EU agenda.
Ukraine, the EU, and diplomatic efforts for peace
Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine’s membership in the European Union is one of the basic security guarantees and that Ukraine is consistently meeting all necessary commitments on this path. He also briefed the Cypriot president on Ukraine’s current contacts with U.S. partners and the overall state of diplomatic efforts.
"Work to achieve peace is effectively ongoing around the clock; there can be no pauses here," the Ukrainian president stressed.
Zelenskyy separately thanked Cyprus and Nikos Christodoulides for supporting Ukraine, including at the political level and within the European Union.
- In early December, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides visited Kyiv. During the meeting, Zelenskyy said the coming months could bring tangible progress on Ukraine’s path to EU membership.
Von der Leyen outlined Europe’s expectations
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, for her part, said she expects the European Union’s preparedness and competitiveness to be strengthened.
Censor.NET reports this, citing her post on X.
She stressed that Cyprus is taking on responsibility at a time when Europe must increase its resilience and economic capacity. She underscored the importance of joint work between European institutions and member states.
"I look forward to working together to boost Europe’s preparedness and competitiveness," von der Leyen wrote, adding words of greeting in Greek.
