EU to keep up pressure on Moscow, demands serious peace talks

European Council President António Costa declared on Monday that pressure on Moscow will persist and intensify, urging Russia to engage "seriously" in peace negotiations with Ukraine. "Escalation is not the solution; diplomacy is," Costa stated on social media following a meeting of the Coalition of Volunteers.

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The pressure on the Russian economy and its ghost fleet will continue and intensify. Russia must participate seriously in the peace negotiations. Escalation is not the solution; diplomacy is.

Costa, who traveled to Kyiv to attend the meeting in person alongside leaders like British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Estonian President Alar Karis, and Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden, emphasized the need for coordinated efforts to support Ukraine through the upcoming winter. "The EU is accelerating the deployment of the support loan for Ukraine to strengthen air defense and energy infrastructure," he said. He also stressed the necessity of restoring security in the Black Sea, stating, "Russia must allow Ukrainian grain to reach the rest of the world. Russia is endangering global food security."

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The coordination within the Coalition of Volunteers is essential to provide Ukraine with the comprehensive support it needs to prepare for the upcoming winter. The EU is accelerating the deployment of the support loan for Ukraine to strengthen air defense and energy infrastructure.

Furthermore, Costa affirmed the EU's commitment to Ukraine's accession process, asserting that "Ukraine's future is in the European Union." He concluded, "We will continue to support Ukraine for as long as necessary and will provide it with security guarantees once this terrible war ends, to prevent something like this from happening again."

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Russia must allow Ukrainian grain to reach the rest of the world. Russia is endangering global food security.

Meanwhile, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas highlighted that the meeting addressed strengthening Ukraine's air defense and winter support, as well as increasing pressure on Moscow. Kallas announced plans to propose "tougher sanctions against Russia" this autumn, noting that the EU is "closing the net even tighter" on the ghost fleet to cut off funding for the war. "The more we strengthen Ukraine, the faster we will force Russia to sit down at the negotiating table," Kallas asserted. Coinciding with the event, the European Commission approved €6.1 billion in new defense materiel purchases for Ukraine, targeting air defense systems, missiles, ammunition, and radars.

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We will continue to support Ukraine for as long as necessary and will provide it with security guarantees once this terrible war ends, to prevent something like this from happening again.