Cyprus brings 19 initiatives to Kyiv ahead of EU presidency

The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, has arrived in Ukraine for an official visit and has already met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to Cypriot government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis's post on X, the visit began early in the morning: the presidential train arrived in Kyiv at 8:00 a.m., where Christodoulides was welcomed by Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Perebiynis and Ukraine’s ambassador to Cyprus, Serhiy Nezhinsky.

#ΤΩΡΑ Ξεκινούν οι διευρυμένες συνομιλίες των αντιπροσωπειών 🇨🇾🇺🇦 υπό τον Πρόεδρο 🇨🇾@PresidentCYP @Christodulides και τον 🇺🇦Πρόεδρο της Ουκρανίας @ZelenskyyUa.

Θέματα που θα απασχολήσουν τις συνομιλίες:
▪️Διμερείς σχέσεις και περαιτέρω ενίσχυση τους
▪️Ενημέρωση και ανταλλαγή… pic.twitter.com/e2l7bdXkcM

— Λετυμπιώτης Κων/νος (@letymbiotis) December 4, 2025

The first event on the program was a wreath-laying ceremony at the “Wall of Heroes” memorial near St. Michael’s Cathedral.

Following the ceremony, expanded delegation-level talks were held under the chairmanship of the presidents of Ukraine and Cyprus. The agenda includes a wide range of topics: bilateral relations, the promotion of a peaceful settlement, and Cyprus’s upcoming EU Council presidency in the first half of 2026. A joint press conference is scheduled after the negotiations.

During the visit, Christodoulides also plans to address the Verkhovna Rada and meet with Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk. Later, he will visit a rehabilitation centre for children who were abducted and subsequently returned from Russian-occupied territories, as well as the historic St. Sophia Cathedral.

The visit demonstrates Nicosia’s strong political will to support pan-European priorities and stand with Kyiv. Christodoulides has brought a package of 19 proposals that Cyprus intends to promote during its EU presidency, many of which concern Ukraine.

Additionally, the Cypriot president plans to raise the issue of circumvention of EU sanctions against Russia. Another topic on the agenda is the inclusion of 37 Cypriot citizens and 227 Cypriot companies on Ukrainian sanctions lists, which Nicosia considers to be based on unverified information.

By Tamilla Hasanova