Azernews.Az

The European Union, in close coordination with the United States, is preparing to tighten economic pressure on Russia in an effort to bring Moscow closer to ending its war in Ukraine, European Council President Antonio Costa announced on Friday.

Speaking alongside President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Uzhhorod, Costa said Brussels has already begun work on a new sanctions package, with an EU delegation set to travel to Washington to align measures with the US “We need stronger economic steps to force Russia to stop this war, stop the killing, and stop the destruction of Ukraine,” he stressed.

Costa also noted that EU states, together with what he called a “coalition of the willing,” back US President Donald Trump’s initiative to open peace negotiations. Preparations are underway, he said, for security guarantees aimed at ensuring a “just and lasting peace” and preventing future aggression.

Reiterating the EU’s long-term support for Kyiv, Costa described Ukraine’s EU membership as both a strategic goal and the strongest safeguard for the country’s security and prosperity. “Ukraine’s full accession to the European Union is not just a matter of security guarantees—it is also the best path to prosperity and a brighter future for the Ukrainian people,” he said.

His visit to western Ukraine carried a symbolic message, Costa added: “This region will no longer stand at the EU’s borders, it will be part of the European Union, because Ukraine will be a full member.”