EU Council chief talks to Zelensky ahead of European leaders’ meeting

Brussels (dpa) – European Council President António Costa spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday ahead of consultations among EU leaders about the US-led peace efforts for Ukraine.

The conversation with Zelensky aimed “to get his assessment of the situation,” Costa wrote on X. “A united and coordinated EU position is key in ensuring a good outcome of peace negotiations – for Ukraine and for Europe,” he added.

Negotiators from the United States and Ukraine have drawn up a revised peace framework to end the war in Ukraine following talks in Geneva on Sunday. Both sides agreed to continue working intensively on the joint proposal in the coming days and to remain in close coordination with European partners, they said.

“It is of great importance that Ukraine is participating in the development of the joint EU position on an equal footing. We appreciate the respect,” Zelensky wrote on the social media platform.

The Ukrainian president said he briefed Costa on the negotiations in Geneva and key priorities.

“We keep working in good faith to achieve peace for Europe,” Zelensky said.

Last week, the US administration presented Kiev with a 28-point plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. The plan was said to be based primarily on Russian positions, prompting criticism from Ukraine’s European allies.

The EU’s 27 leaders are set to discuss the ongoing peace efforts on the margins of a summit meeting between the European Union and the African Union in Luanda, Costa’s spokeswoman confirmed.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was among the leaders who joined the gathering in person, while several others who did not travel to the Angolan capital were invited to join the talks via video link (24 November).