Ukraine remains EU priority ahead of summit, says Charles Michel

Ukraine remains a top priority for the European Union, European Council President Charles Michel announced ahead of the upcoming EU summit on June 18-19 in Brussels. Michel's invitation letter to the member states emphasized the meeting's goal to send a strong signal of unity.

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Ukraine remains a priority for the European Union.

A key agenda item will be the potential opening of the first phase of accession negotiations with both Ukraine and Moldova. Michel expressed hope that the summit would welcome this significant step in their European integration journey. The meeting will also address the pressing issue of drone incursions into EU airspace, which Michel stated "underscore the urgent need to enhance our common defense readiness program."

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Our meeting will be an opportunity to send a strong signal of unity and, hopefully, to welcome the opening of the first phase of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, which is an important step on their path to the EU.

Michel noted Ukraine's continued battlefield successes while Russia fails to achieve its military and strategic objectives. He confirmed that a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would take place before the summit begins. Michel assessed that the EU's successful approach involves supporting Ukraine while simultaneously increasing pressure on Russia, whose actions he described as "increasingly reckless and irresponsible behavior towards EU member states is unacceptable and far from just a demonstration of force."

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Drone incursions into EU airspace underscore the urgent need to enhance our common defense readiness program.