EU Foreign Ministers Demonstrate Solidarity with Ukraine in Kyiv

PeopleDiplomats ♦ Published: October 4, 2023; 16:03 ♦ (Vindobona)

In an unprecedented act of solidarity, the foreign ministers of almost all EU states, including Austria's Alexander Schallenberg, gathered for an informal Council meeting in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. This meeting marked the first time that such a body was held not within the EU, but in a third country. The aim was to demonstratively strengthen Ukraine's back.

Austria's Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg attended a memorial ceremony at the Wall of Remembrance on the occasion in Kyiv. / Picture: © BMEIA Bundesministerium für Europa, Integration und Äußeres / Gruber / Flickr Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Schallenberg stressed that this meeting is a clear signal of EU unity and support for Ukraine. "We stand by your side and support you. For as long as necessary," he stressed. He also expressed his admiration for the Ukrainian people's will to defend themselves and the need to prosecute and punish war crimes.

The main topic of the meeting was the continued Russian aggression…