Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Brussels on Wednesday 18 December for two days of meetings with leaders of NATO, the EU and the Member States, with the aim of obtaining short- and medium-term security guarantees.
This visit is “a very good opportunity to talk about security guarantees for today and for tomorrow”, he stressed alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte before their meeting. Mr Zelensky called for a common European position “on how to secure Ukraine, strengthen it, strengthen the army”. Once again, he reiterated the importance of air defence systems in the face of continuing Russian attacks, particularly on energy infrastructure.
NATO’s Secretary General acknowledged that one of the priorities was to ensure that Ukraine was in the best possible position if and when it decided to enter into peace negotiations. “And that means we have to do everything we can now to make sure, in terms of air defence and other weapons systems, that we provide everything we can”, he stressed.
Following their meeting, Mr Rutte and Mr Zelensky were due to hold talks with European leaders in the evening. Representatives from Germany, Poland, Italy, the UK, France, Denmark and the Presidents of the European Council, António Costa, and the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, may also attend.
According to a diplomat from a country not invited to the meeting, the discussion could include the idea of deploying European troops to Ukraine to guarantee a possible ceasefire.
Mr Zelensky will be attending the European Council on Thursday 19 December (see other news). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)