Volodymyr Zelensky and Ursula von der Leyen spoke by telephone on Monday afternoon, the Ukrinform news agency reported.
The two discussed "the expected results of the next Ukraine-EU summit, which will be held on February 3 this year in Kyiv, and agreed to intensify the preparatory work,” the presidential office said afterwards, as quoted by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
Zelensky said in his nightly video address to the nation that he and von der Leyen “discussed the preparation of the Ukraine-EU summit.”
The Ukrainian president added: “I believe that at this summit, we will be able to outline the key new steps for this year for our common resilience, for our common victory.”
Military aid, financial assistance, EU membership
Zelensky briefed von der Leyen on the battlefield situation and continued Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, officials said.
Meanwhile, von der Leyen underlined the EU’s “unwavering solidarity with Ukraine,” offering assurances that the bloc would “stand with Ukraine in the struggle against the aggressor in 2023 as well, until Ukraine's victory,” reporters were told.
The two leaders discussed “ways to further strengthen the capacity of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by supplying appropriate weapons,” according to Ukrinform.
Moreover, Zelensky and von der Leyen talked about the EU’s EUR 18 billion programme of macro-financial assistance to Ukraine, officials said.
“In January, we expect the first tranche of macro-financial aid, as was agreed upon last year,” Zelensky later told the nation.
Ukraine expects this first tranche to total EUR 3 billion, Ukrinform reported.
The Ukrainian president also said he was grateful to Brussels for its role in humanitarian projects for Ukraine. He and von der Leyen “agreed that the first 15 million LED lamps financed by the EC would be delivered to Ukraine in January,” according to Ukrinform.
Ukraine is also waiting for the first deliveries of school buses, generators and modular houses, reporters were told.
In addition, Zelensky briefed von der Leyen on the progress made by Ukraine in implementing “the seven recommendations of the European Commission provided in the context of Ukraine’s acquisition of the EU candidate status,” officials said.
Ukraine targets key Russian supply route in Luhansk province
Meanwhile, the UK Ministry of Defence reported that Russian and Ukrainian forces "have probably been fighting for control of the P66 highway, north of the Russian-held Luhansk Oblast town of Kremina" over the past several days.
It said on Monday that the P66 highway is a “key supply route for the northern section of Russia’s Donbas front from the Belgorod region of Russia” and its use has been disrupted by Ukrainian artillery since October.
“If Ukraine were able to secure the route, it would highly likely further undermine Russia’s defence of Kremina,” the British defence ministry added.
The Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank, reported on Monday night that “Ukrainian forces continued to repel Russian counterattacks around Kreminna on January 1 and 2.”
25 torture chambers found in reclaimed parts of Kharkiv region
Meanwhile, Ukrainian investigators have discovered 25 torture chambers in the liberated areas of the northeastern Kharkiv province, the Kyiv Independent website reported on Monday evening, citing the head of the regional police force, Volodymyr Tymoshko.
In total, 1,699 civilians, including 74 children, were killed and a further 2,596 injured in the Kharkiv region since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, Tymoshko said.
Tuesday is day 314 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, ukrinform.net, en.interfax.com.ua, president.gov.ua, UK Ministry of Defence, understandingwar.org, The Kyiv Independent