Ukraine's foreign minister sums up Ukraine's work with EU in 2025

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has given an optimistic assessment of the results of 2025 in Ukraine's relations with Europe.

Source: Sybiha on his Facebook page, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Among Ukraine's most notable achievements of 2025, Sybiha named four new EU sanctions packages against Russia, describing them as "truly strong, non-symbolic packages", as well as the fact that Russia failed to secure the removal of any of its oligarchs from the sanctions lists despite active attempts.

As the second point, Sybiha cited stable EU financial support, which is a fundamental factor for Ukraine's resilience.

"Throughout 2025, the total volume of EU budgetary support to Ukraine amounted to approximately €28.8 billion, of which €18.1 billion was provided under ERA Loans and €10.7 billion under the Ukraine Facility," the foreign minister noted.

In addition, among the achievements he listed:

• the December decision of the European Council regarding a €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine for 2026-2027, raised through EU borrowing on capital markets and secured by an EU budget reserve
• the decision to freeze Russian assets in Europe indefinitely until Russia fully compensates the damage caused by its aggression, as well as the use of profits from frozen Russian assets for Ukraine's defence needs. Through the European Peace Facility (EPF), a second tranche of €1.85 billion was received, and work began on attracting a third tranche of €80 million
• military support from the EU, including 2 million artillery rounds for Ukraine and the training of 19,000 Ukrainian military personnel within the EUMAM mission
• consideration of Ukraine and its interests in key EU defence initiatives like the White Paper for European Defence, the ReArm Europe Plan – Readiness 2030 and the SAFE instrument, within which the potential volume of joint projects involving Ukraine could reach €5.2 billion; the inclusion of 11 Ukrainian military higher education institutions in the network of the European Security and Defence College
• the creation of a €300 million Ukraine Support Instrument to develop Ukraine's defence industry and the planned inclusion of cooperation with Ukraine in the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) with a budget of €1.5 billion until 2027
• full EU support and financial participation in building the architecture of accountability for Russia's aggression, including the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine and further steps to launch a compensation mechanism for the damage caused to Ukrainians by Russian aggression
• tangible progress in negotiations on Ukraine's EU membership despite Hungary's veto:"This year, bilateral screening was completed for all six negotiation clusters, negotiation positions were prepared for all clusters, and all preconditions for their opening were fulfilled. Ukraine achieved 99% alignment of its foreign policy with the European Union," Sybiha noted
• six European Parliament resolutions in support of Ukraine
• deepening trade and economic integration between Ukraine and the EU, the introduction of an updated trade regime from 29 October 2025, and the extension of the moratorium on trade defence instruments until 5 June 2028
• completion of preparations for Ukraine's accession to the EU Roaming area from 1 January 2026, effectively granting Ukraine access to the European single market in this area even before full membership
• significant support for the resilience of Ukraine's energy system, including assistance to Naftogaz amounting to around €900 million in preparation for winter, and an unprecedented logistics operation to transport a thermal power plant donated by Lithuania to Ukraine
• expansion of the international legal framework of cooperation between Ukraine and the EU – 19 agreements or international legal instruments were concluded or had their conclusion procedures completed
• Ukraine's accession to three components of the European Space Programme: Earth observation (Copernicus), space weather monitoring (SWE), and monitoring risks from near-Earth objects (NEO)
• Ukraine obtaining full participant status in the EU Creative Europe Programme
• "an unprecedented level" of coordination and interaction with the EU in supporting Ukraine's efforts to restore a just and sustainable peace. Over the year, nearly 140 events, visits, and conversations at high and highest levels took place, and the Ukrainian foreign minister participated in all meetings of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.

"This is not just a list of achievements and decisions. This is a year in which Ukraine has taken another step closer to the European Union, systematically, consistently, and irreversibly. This is a year when Europe truly woke up and strengthened its geostrategic positions together with Ukraine. Next year, we will develop this trend further. We need a united and strong Europe that's protected from the Russian threat, one that is proactive and competitive in all global processes," Sybiha concluded.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!