Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, expressed hope for ‘a lot of steps forward’ during Cyprus’ term at the helm of the Presidency of the Council of EU, in the first half of 2026, addressing the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, during a meeting on Wednesday morning, in Nicosia.
President Christodoulides received Zelensky, who visits Cyprus for the first time, at the Presidential Palace, on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the Cyprus EU Presidency, due later today. ‘We are very glad to have you on this very important day for Cyprus,’ President Christodoulides said, welcoming the Ukrainian President.
‘It seems that we have a lot of developments, a lot of positive developments, and I am looking forward to our discussion to briefing us on the latest developments and what we can do as a Presidency of the Council of the European Union to support the US and for the international efforts for a peace deal,’ President Christodoulides continued.
On his part, President Zelensky thanked his Cypriot counterpart for the invitation and added that he is very happy to be in Cyprus for the first time, while congratulating the President of the Republic for the assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the EU.
‘I think this is so important,’ Zelensky noted, expressing hope that during the Cyprus EU Presidency there will be ‘a lot of steps forward’ closer to the EU. He also thanked President Christodoulides for ‘the humanitarian support especially during this war, during Russia’s attack,’ as he said.
Concluding, Zelensky said that he will brief Christodoulides on the meetings he had with the US and the European partners.
After the meeting, President Christodoulides noted in a post on X that he had a ‘fruitful meeting with President Zelensky’ weeks after his visit to Kyiv and added that ‘Cyprus reaffirms its steadfast commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.’
‘As a country that still lives with the consequences of illegal invasion and ongoing military occupation, we fully understand what is at stake,’ the President continued and reaffirmed that Ukraine will be a central priority of the Cyprus Presidency and ‘will work to ensure sustained support at all levels.’
‘We stand firmly with you as you work for a just and lasting peace, firmly rooted on the UN Charter and fully respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,’ he concluded.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.