By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BRUSSELS/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope Thursday that a security agreement between Kyiv and the European Union would lead to “peace and prosperity” across the continent.
He spoke while meeting EU leaders in Brussels during a summit just days after the wartorn nation was invited for its first membership talks with the bloc.
Under the terms of the security agreement with Ukraine, the EU pledged to continue providing Ukraine with military, financial, diplomatic, and humanitarian support over the long term.
“I would also like to thank you for the security agreement. I invite everyone in Europe who is still on the sideline of the security war to join us,” he added.
It also appeared to be a reference to EU member state Hungary, which is a close ally of Russia and has declined to deliver weapons or other military assistance to neighboring Ukraine.
Video footage captured an impromptu fierce exchange between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Zelenskyy on the summit’s sidelines.
Yet despite their disagreements, Hungary has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and did not veto the agreement.
BIG COMMITMENT
“For the first time, this agreement will enshrine the commitment of all 27 Member States to provide Ukraine with extensive support, regardless of any internal institutional changes,” Zelenskyy noticed.
Ukraine has signed 17 similar bilateral security agreements, including those with the United States, France, Germany, Britain, and Japan.
They are not mutual defense pacts but outline key countries’ commitments to support Ukraine with military, financial, humanitarian, and political aid over several years.
“Each step we take brings us closer to our historic goal of peace and prosperity in our common European home,” Zelensky said.
The EU-Ukraine security pact was signed just days before Hungary would take over the rotating EU presidency from Belgium on July 1.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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