The European Union has convened its annual summit with Ukraine for early February and has invited President Volodimir Zelenski, who this week chose the United States for his first foreign trip since Russia launched its military offensive nearly ten months ago, to travel to Brussels.
The meeting, scheduled for February 3, will not be at the leaders’ level, but the EU will be represented by the presidents of the Council and the Commission, Charles Michel and Ursula Von der Leyen, according to EU sources who have clarified that the venue has not yet been chosen.
On the other hand, the sources have indicated that there is an «open invitation» to Zelenski to «visit» Brussels, something that would not have to coincide with the summit and on which the Ukrainian authorities have not pronounced themselves.
The EU External Action Service on Wednesday played down the significance of Zelenski’s trip to Washington and not to Brussels, arguing that the two powers go hand in hand in terms of international efforts to support Ukraine vis-à-vis Russia.
Foreign Affairs spokesman Peter Stano told Europa Press that Zelenski does not need to travel to member states «because the EU goes to him regularly and repeatedly.» «Almost all presidents, prime ministers and many ministers of EU member states, as well as representatives of European institutions have frequently been to Ukraine and the EU is present in Ukraine every day,» he expounded.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
