Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha: "Today in Nicosia, as part of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Cyprus, I had a very substantive meeting with my Cypriot colleague Constantinos Kombos. 

I am pleased that the Ukrainian delegation led by President Zelenskyy is attending the official launch of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU. 

We discussed the priorities of the Cypriot Presidency. I appreciate Ukraine and our EU accession being on the top of agenda. I highlighted the importance of opening negotiation clusters in 2026, and Cyprus’s role is crucial. 

We discussed in detail the recent dynamic of peace process. I informed about Ukraine’s approach and proposals, the leading role of the US and European engagement in peace efforts, pressure on Russia, and robust security guarantees for Ukraine. 

We devoted a significant part of our conversation to bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and Cyprus, particularly in security and defense area, joint efforts with the use of EU instruments, and Cyprus’s role in strengthening Europe’s security.  

We also addressed Ukraine’s recovery and energy resilience in the face of Russia’s ongoing attacks, humanitarian support, sanctions policy, and the use of frozen Russian assets for defense and recovery. 

Ukraine values Cyprus as a reliable partner and looks forward to boosting our bilateral cooperation, as well as to strengthening EU unity and bringing a lasting peace closer throughout the Cypriot EU Presidency."