Koshta: EU will increase pressure on Russia and support for Ukraine
The European Union will continue to increase pressure on Russia and provide military and financial assistance to Ukraine. According to European Council President Antonio Costa, defense, support for Ukraine and EU enlargement will be the main priorities of the union in the autumn political season.
Košta: EU to increase pressure on Russia, boost aid to Ukraine
Antonio Košta made the statement after meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Naūseda in Vilnius on August 26.
The European Council President noted that "the situation on the battlefield is changing thanks to the courage of the Ukrainian armed forces. We will continue to increase the pressure until Russia comes to the negotiating table with serious intentions."
Lithuania was the third stop on Košta's tour of all EU member states. He will arrive in Riga on the evening of August 26, having visited Bratislava and Tallinn the day before.
During the trip, Košta is discussing with European leaders the priorities of the European Union in the new political season.
In Tallinn, the President of the European Council outlined four key areas of the EU's support strategy for Ukraine:
1. The EU intends to use the €90 billion loan allocated to Ukraine to strengthen the country's air defense system and energy capacity before winter.
2. The EU is working on developing security guarantees for Kiev within the framework of the "coalition of the willing".
3. It is planned to increase pressure on Russia to encourage it to participate constructively in the peace process.
4. The EU will continue to promote Ukraine's path to EU membership.
In addition to supporting Ukraine, Košta also listed defense, competitiveness, and EU enlargement as key issues.
During his current tour of European capitals, special attention is being paid to the new long-term budget for 2028-2034.
Košta called agreeing on a new budget in Vilnius a "crucial task" for the EU this autumn. He said EU leaders needed to reach an agreement by the end of 2026. Otherwise, there could be disruptions to funding for pan-European programmes in 2028.
The EU's current seven-year budget was agreed in 2020. Košta said the world has changed dramatically since then, and the structure of the next budget should therefore be significantly different from previous ones.