Ursula von der Leyen holds talks with Zelensky

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has held a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of her visits to Romania and Bulgaria.

According to TodayPress TV, citing Interfax-Ukraine, the two sides discussed the security situation in the Black Sea region, the issue of a ceasefire and the upcoming talks scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi.

Von der Leyen emphasised the importance of restoring and safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. She also reaffirmed her support for Zelensky’s call for a ceasefire covering food and energy infrastructure.

“We also discussed the ongoing efforts aimed at achieving peace and the talks to be held in Abu Dhabi this week. The European Union will be represented at these talks alongside our partners,” the statement said.

In addition, von der Leyen announced that she intends to meet Zelensky in Dublin later this week. The meeting is expected to focus on the next steps towards achieving peace.

It should be noted that a meeting of the European Political Community will take place in Dublin on November 12, followed by an informal European Union summit on November 13.

Earlier, on November 5, Ursula von der Leyen stated that continued military support for Ukraine was essential to ensure that Kyiv could negotiate peace from a position of strength.