In a fresh interview for Ukraine’s United News telethon aired on April 25, 2026, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described highly productive bilateral and multilateral meetings held during his working visit to Cyprus on April 23. He highlighted new commitments from three European partner countries to the NATO-led Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, which channels allied funding for critical U.S.-sourced military equipment and munitions to Ukraine.
“These contributions are essential for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy stated. “We are facing such attacks that we cannot afford to lose time. We must protect energy, logistics everything.” He expressed gratitude for the swift support, noting that PURL deliveries provide ready-to-use capabilities Ukraine urgently needs amid ongoing Russian strikes.
Zelenskyy also confirmed that a major EU financial support package understood to be the €90 billion long-term loan facility for Ukraine has now been unblocked, coinciding with the formal adoption of the European Union’s 20th package of sanctions against Russia. The latest sanctions target Russia’s energy sector, military-industrial complex, trade, financial services (including crypto), and the shadow fleet of tankers used to circumvent earlier oil bans.
The president stressed that these developments remove previous blockages and allow Ukraine to move forward according to its plan. “Now it is crucial to open the first negotiation cluster,” he said, referring to the structured EU accession process. Zelenskyy revealed that he has already held discussions with partners about opening negotiation clusters in 2026 and expressed confidence that this can be achieved in the coming months absent new obstacles.
On the broader goal of full EU membership, Zelenskyy noted a clear convergence of views among European leaders:
– Everyone agrees Ukraine needs accession “as soon as possible.”
– There is unanimous recognition that Ukraine fully deserves membership.
– Both sides acknowledge a historic geopolitical and security imperative: “We need the European Union and the European Union truly needs Ukraine.”
He called for accelerated action from all parties: “Not only Ukraine on its side, but also European countries must do everything to speed up Ukraine’s accession.”
The remarks come directly from Zelenskyy’s post on X (April 25, 2026) summarizing the Cyprus outcomes and reflect statements corroborated by Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, the Office of the President of Ukraine, and official EU announcements issued within the past 48 hours.