The Prime Minister meets this morning with President Volodymyr Zelensky

The prime minister said this Saturday, shortly after arriving in Kiev, a sign that he is in Ukraine for support in this country’s fight for its rights to sovereignty, territorial authorization and the achievement of peace.

António Costa made these statements to journalists just outside Kiev’s central station, where he arrived by train at 10:30 local time, two hours less in Lisbon, coming from the Polish border.

“I am addressed here to respond to the invitation given to me by my colleague Prime Minister of Ukraine[DenysShmygalesothatwecanmaterializethesupportwenegotiatebilaterally”hebeganbyreferringtothePortugueseleader[DenysShmygalesothatwecanimplementthesupportwenegotiatedbilaterally”[DenysShmygaleparaquepossamosconcretizarosapoiosquenegociamosdeformabilateral”começouporreferirolíderdoportuguês[DenysShmygaleparapodermosconcretizarosapoiosquetemosnegociadodeformabilateral”começouporreferirolíderdoexecutivoportuguês

There is no reason that his political visit “continues to be a sign of António from Ukraine that, in the struggle for his right to sovereignty, will represent, through his plan for the right to sovereignty, to gain territorial knowledge and for the conquest of his right to sovereignty, gaining knowledge territorial”.

“I am now going to visit one of the areas most affected by the war,” he added.

António Costa will meet this morning with the President of the Ukrainian Republic, Volodymyr Zelensky.

On Friday, during his presence in Warsaw, the prime minister referred to the meeting he will have with Volodymyr Zelensky this morning.

“Reactively, the contacts I will have in Ukraine with President Zelensky and the Ukrainian Prime Minister will focus on the forms of support that, from a bilateral point of view, Portugal can continue to provide to the minister for the supply of military, humanitarian and financial equipment. We will also challenge the question of Ukraine’s European perspective, build a position of unity in the European Union”, he added.

Regarding Ukraine’s objective of becoming a European Union, António Costa has to adopt an essential attitude of prudence, considering avoiding a division between the 27 Member States in this matter.

“The 27 Member States of the European Union have to be open enough to find the special status that Ukraine needs. Let’s not cling to assignments and focus on being pragmatic,” she defended.

The prime minister even advanced one of the possible consensus solutions to avoid divisions in the European Union around the discussion on the level of Ukraine’s future European integration.

“We have to be creative and find solutions. I intend to identify which solutions are specifically needed and, from there, seek a solution for the European Union immediately. I think Ukraine’s integration into the common market is very important, with the release of customs. Portugal’s role is to listen to everyone and look for a point of consensus,” she added.

During his institutional presence in the Ukrainian capital, in addition to the meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, the Portuguese prime minister will also have a meeting with his counterpart, Denys Shmygal, from whom he formally invited him to visit Ukraine.