ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for European unity on sanctions against Russia, as he welcomed the outcomes of Thursday's European Council meeting that reiterated support for Kyiv.

“There are truly good decisions on security support, further pressure on Russia, and a high evaluation of our internal transformation,” Zelenskyy said in a statement on X Friday, adding that Ukraine continues to make progress toward EU accession despite wartime conditions.

He thanked European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for their leadership and stressed the importance of EU unity.

“Every united signal of support for Ukraine is a signal of guarantee that Europe has a normal future,” Zelenskyy said.

The European Commission on June 10 proposed the 18th package of sanctions against Russia, targeting its energy revenues, banks and military industry.

Slovakia and Hungary have opposed the latest sanctions due to their disagreement with the proposals to end Russian energy imports by the end of 2027.

Zelenskyy also called for stronger coordination of sanctions. “Sanctions must be synchronized. Russia must feel truly painful consequences for blocking all diplomatic efforts and peace proposals,” he said.