European Council President, António Costa has asserted that the bloc was also committed to maintaining pressure on Russia to get it to discuss and agree to ending the war in Ukraine.
The former Portuguese Prime Minister added that the EU was united in its “unwavering support for Ukraine.”
He stressed that the EU’s top priorities are to stop the killing, advance the exchange of prisoners and secure the return of the thousands of children abducted by Russia.
“We will work together with the United States on concrete and essential security guarantees. Together with President Zelenskyy and the US, we will prepare the next steps to achieve a just and lasting peace.
“We must continue to support the Ukrainian people and move forward with the enlargement process. Ukraine’s future also lies in the prosperity and stability that EU membership can provide.”
António Costa
Also, the European Council President noted that after three and a half years of war, diplomatic activity is accelerating, and there is growing momentum around providing Ukraine with security guarantees, including the agreement of United States President Trump to participate in this effort. “We welcome this,” he said.
Costa stated in a news conference in Lisbon, Portugal, following a video conference with EU leaders, that now is the time to accelerate “our practical work, to put in place a guarantee similar to NATO’s Article Five, with continued United States engagement.”
He added that the Coalition of the Willing should remain closely involved in this process, arguing that European leaders need to be involved because “Ukraine’s and Europe’s security (is) what is at stake here.”
“As the first step, Russia must immediately end the violence. Our top priority must be to stop the killings. Whether we call it a ceasefire or a truce is secondary.
“What matters is that we maintain pressure through sanctions if Russia does not comply. More than ever, it is crucial to maintain strong pressure on Russia.”
António Costa
Costa’s remarks came after Ukraine’s allies in the “Coalition of the Willing” discussed potentially placing more sanctions pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine, according to a Downing Street spokesperson.
British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer co-chaired a meeting of the coalition on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, alongside French President, Emmanuel Macron.
Fico Disappointed EU Has To “Wait For” Trump
However, Slovak Prime Minister, Robert Fico in a three-minute video posted on his social media channels after his participation in the European Council meeting on Ukraine, noted that he was disappointed that the EU “had to wait for Donald Trump to show us the path towards peace,” praising the US President’s initiative as “enormous personal success.”
He insisted that “the first basic prerequisite for ending the conflict is the understanding that Ukraine cannot become a member state of NATO.”
Fico, who repeatedly clashed with Ukraine in the past and sought to block or delay some EU sanctions on Russia, said that he expressed this view before, and faced heavy criticism.
“Equally important is the factual understanding that without a discussion about territorial changes in Ukraine, no progress can be made.”
Robert Fico
Fico also rejected the suggestion that EU countries could take part in buying €100bn-worth of military equipment for Ukraine, saying it sounded “like a bad joke.”
He said that he could not imagine a siutation in which Slovakia spends money on US weapons to send them to Ukraine for free.
Unsuprisingly, he’s also “sceptical” about the idea of further sanctions against Russia.
However, he said that he hoped for peace “as soon as possible” and was ready to support Ukraine’s ambitions to join the European Union instead.
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