António Costa, President of the European Council, has sent an invitation to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to participate in discussions on Ukrainian issues at the European Council meeting on 18 December. However, the Ukrainian president will most likely join the discussion via video link.

The EU Foreign Affairs Council is set to adopt a decision on Monday 15 December to add a further 40 vessels from Russia's so-called shadow fleet to the European Union's sanctions list against Russia.

EU ambassadors (Coreper I) have approved a plan for the Union to completely phase out imports of Russian gas by the end of 2027.

The European Union will join the establishment of the International Claims Commission for Ukraine on 16 December, which is being set up as part of the Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

The European Union is continuing to insist on Russia's full responsibility for crimes against Ukraine and, in particular, on the swift completion of the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.

The European Union has said that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Ukraine's democratically elected president and that the next presidential election should be held when conditions allow.

The European Union has pointed out that insufficient pressure is being placed on Russia during negotiations on securing peace in Ukraine – something that could result in a peace agreement effectively rewarding the aggressor.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that Europe and Ukraine now have numerous arguments and tools to pressure Russia in negotiations to secure peace in Ukraine.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on 3 December that the European Union plans to cover two-thirds of Ukraine's external financing needs in 2026 and 2027, amounting to about €90 billion.

The European Commission has unveiled two decisions aimed at meeting Ukraine's financial needs for 2026-2027.

Sweden, as a state located close to Russia, recognises that Moscow poses a real threat and must be deterred.

The European Commission is set to present an official proposal for a mechanism to use frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine, also referred to as a "reparations loan", on Wednesday 3 December.

A working lunch between foreign ministers of the NATO-Ukraine Council has been scheduled for 3 December.

The European Commission is seeking alternative sources of liquidity to the European Central Bank (ECB) to provide Ukraine with a reparations loan in case the frozen assets need to be returned to the Russian Central Bank.