Zelensky to meet with EU, NATO leaders in Brussels on Dec. 19

Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect comments made by Zelensky on Dec. 13 on his upcoming visit.

President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Brussels on Dec. 19 to meet with European Union and NATO leaders, an undisclosed source from the president's team told the Kyiv Independent on Dec. 13.

Brussels will host a two-day European Summit in the EU Council buildings on Dec. 18-19.

Following a phone call with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Dec. 11, Zelensky announced a personal meeting with him "next week in Brussels." Zelensky further appeared to confirm his upcoming visit during his evening address on Dec. 13, stating that preparations are underway "for meetings in Brussels next week with European leaders."

During his visit, Zelensky will meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to discuss support for Ukraine in the war against Russia. The president will also meet with the leaders of the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, and Poland, according to Reuters.

"It won't be a meeting that has concrete decisions, but more political to discuss the coming weeks and months," said a source familiar with the meeting told Reuters.

Ukrainian officials stressed earlier that NATO membership is the only path toward a just and lasting peace. While acknowledging that the country cannot become a full member amid the full-scale war, Kyiv asked the allies to at least extend an invitation now as a clear signal of support.

NATO previously said that Ukraine is on an "irreversible" path toward membership, but its members have failed to reach a consensus on an invitation. The U.S., Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia are reportedly among the main opponents of the step.

How will Russia’s war in Ukraine end? The good, the bad, and the ugly scenarios

Editor’s note: This article is a compliment to an upcoming analytical report on scenarios for the end of Russia’s war against Ukraine by KI Insights, the Kyiv Independent’s research unit. After nearly three years of heavy battles and mass strikes, Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine is showing

The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell

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