EU leaders unanimously back Ukraine, pledge continued military, financial aid

The European Council has unanimously confirmed its support for Ukraine, according to its final statement on Ukraine and European security published on June 18 on the Council’s website.

In the document, all 27 leaders reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine and pledged to continue providing assistance, including political, financial, humanitarian and military aid.

The EU stressed that a just and lasting peace is only possible if Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected. Borders cannot be changed by force, Russia cannot be rewarded, and Ukraine’s long-term security and its ability to defend itself must be guaranteed.

The leaders condemned renewed mass attacks by Russia on civilian and energy infrastructure, and confirmed readiness to provide Ukraine with air defence systems, ammunition, drones and missiles, as well as to support the restoration of its critical infrastructure.

The report also states that the EU is preparing to disburse an initial tranche of a €90bn loan by the end of June and to hold a reconstruction conference in Gdańsk, Poland.

The allies emphasised the importance of maintaining sanctions pressure on Russia, reducing its energy revenues, and tackling its so-called “shadow fleet”. They also called for the return of illegally deported Ukrainian children and reaffirmed support for the creation of a special tribunal.

Politico noted a particular feature of the document: all 27 leaders of the Council were able to agree on a joint statement on Ukraine for the first time since March 2025. At that time, adoption of the document was blocked by the then Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán.

The change of government in Budapest and the election of Prime Minister Péter Magyar “put an end to this practice” and restored unified EU support for Ukraine, the outlet reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an audio address to journalists cited by the correspondent of the outlet “Gordon”, said that the latest European Council meeting was “the longest meeting involving Ukraine in the country’s history”.

"The first cluster was recently opened, and it is fully deserved for both Ukraine and Moldova. And we are ready to move further. We will be happy to do it together. We can open the other 5 clusters as well. Everything is already prepared, and this can be done in the coming weeks," the president said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev