Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said on Thursday that discussions at the informal Gymnich meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Limassol, Cyprus would focus on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, maritime security, supply-chain resilience and Europe’s future security framework. From her part, EU Foreign Policy chief Kaja Kallas said Ministers would discuss Europe’s approach toward Russia and Ukraine amid stalled peace efforts and continued fighting on the battlefield.
Speaking ahead of the meeting at the Port of Limassol, Kombos described the gathering as ‘a very special meeting’ aimed at providing ‘the strategic compass for European Union foreign policy’ through ‘informal, open and frank discussion.’
‘We are starting with a discussion about the situation in the Middle East, the ways forward and the impact that the war is having on supply chains,’ Kombos said. ‘We will also discuss how we can move forward in relation to the resilience of supply chains.’
Kombos said the participation of India and Saudi Arabia, through their Ministers in the meeting, reflected the strategic importance of the discussions, noting that maritime security and developments in the Middle East had been among the key priorities of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The second major issue on the agenda concerns Ukraine and the EU’s long-term positioning on the war.
‘We will be having a discussion about moving forward,’ Kombos said, and pointed to the approval of a pound 90 billion loan package for Ukraine and the adoption of the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia as significant achievements during the Cyprus EU Presidency.
Asked about discussions surrounding a possible EU special envoy or negotiator on Ukraine, Kombos acknowledged divisions among member states but stressed that Ministers were currently focused on defining political parameters rather than selecting an individual.
‘There are views as to whether this should happen or not,’ he said, adding that ‘the discussion today will focus on what such a person would pursue and represent if we get to that stage.’
Responding to questions about Germany’s call for more equal burden-sharing in support of Ukraine, Kombos defended the EU’s collective approach, saying support for Kyiv had been ‘multidimensional’ and inclusive.
‘Everyone is doing whatever they can,’ he said. ‘There is always a discussion about doing more and about how contributions are allocated among member states, but since the war started the European Union has consistently managed to find proper solutions.’
On Ukraine’s EU accession process, Kombos said discussions on negotiating clusters were continuing in Brussels and expressed hope for progress during Cyprus’ presidency.
‘We remain hopeful that during our presidency we could have a positive outcome in that direction,’ he said.
Asked whether sanctions against Israel could be discussed during the meeting, Kombos noted that no formal decisions could be adopted in the informal Gymnich format, but acknowledged that the issue could arise during discussions.
‘It is reasonable to expect that the issue could be raised today in this informal setting,’ he said, recalling that sanctions against violent Israeli settlers had already been discussed during the previous EU Foreign Affairs Council.
Kombos said Ministers would also begin discussions on Europe’s future security framework and the EU’s strategic autonomy.
‘Our presidency’s motto has been ‘a more autonomous Union open to the world” he said. ‘In this turbulent period, it is important for the European Union to define how it positions itself moving forward.’
In her statements the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, referred to the situation between Ukraine and Russia and said that ‘in the peace negotiations, not much is happening right now.’ ‘We also see on the battlefield that Russia is on the back foot’ Kallas said.
She warned of mounting instability in the Gulf and said the Strait of Hormuz was currently in ‘a strange state between war and peace.’
‘It is in everybody’s interest that freedom of navigation is respected in the Strait of Hormuz because everybody is paying a very high price for this,’ she said.
She argued that the EU must enter any future talks with Moscow with clearly defined objectives and warned against what she described as a Russian attempt to shift attention toward personalities instead of substance.
‘I find that it’s a trap that Russia wants us to walk into – that we discuss who talks to them while they are already deciding who is suitable or who is not’ she said, adding that ‘we should not walk into that trap.’
‘Negotiations are always a team effort’ Kallas added, ‘that’s why the substance is much more important than who.’
Kallas said she had already circulated a paper outlining Europe’s key demands toward Russia, including respect for international agreements and the sovereignty of neighbouring states.
She also argued that any future settlement involving military restrictions on Ukraine should include reciprocal limitations on Russia.
‘There are also wider European security concerns,’ she said, citing the presence of Russian troops in Georgia and Moldova, as well as alleged Russian interference in elections across Europe.
‘It is a maximalist approach, but so is Russia’s approach so far,’ she added.
Asked about possible sanctions against Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Kallas said proposals had already been under discussion for months and could return to the agenda during the June meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.
‘There is a lot of pressure also from member states who so far have been objecting to sanctioning Ministers,’ she said.
Kallas also dismissed recent Russian warnings directed at diplomatic missions in Kyiv, accusing Moscow of escalating attacks aimed at spreading fear inside Ukrainian society.
‘This is what Russia does because it is not really gaining ground on the battlefield,’ she said. ‘It hasn’t worked for four years and I don’t think it is going to work now.’
On tensions between the United States and Iran, Kallas said regional partners appeared close to an initial agreement, although negotiations remained fragile.
‘The first agreement is to stop the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and then negotiate the more difficult issues, including the nuclear file,’ she said.
Kallas also reiterated support for accelerating Ukraine’s path toward EU membership, arguing that Kyiv would strengthen Europe’s broader security architecture.
‘The idea behind this is that we need to move faster with Ukraine,’ she said. ‘Ukraine is bringing security knowledge and strength to the European table.’