EU is preparing the 22nd sanctions package against Russia

European Union (EU) Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made a statement to the press before the European Political Community (AST) meeting held in Dublin, the capital of Ireland.

Stating that they will discuss many issues at the AST meeting and the informal EU Leaders Summit to be held tomorrow, von der Leyen said that they will also evaluate the peace talks in Abu Dhabi on the sidelines of the meetings.

Von der Leyen expressed that she welcomed the peace talks in Abu Dhabi and stated that the participation of Europeans in the talks was positive in terms of both protecting the interests of Europe and meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's request for support.

Stating that Zelenskiy wanted the support of the Europeans in the negotiations, von der Leyen said, "We will support Ukraine both in war and in peace." he said.

Von der Leyen said, "I should state that we have prepared the 22nd sanctions package and, as the EU Commission, we are working on a proposal on how to meet Ukraine's financial needs in 2027. We will present the sanctions package and the proposal on financial needs before the next EU Leaders Summit." made his assessment.

EU leaders will discuss the Union's long-term budget covering the period 2028-2034 and Ukraine's financing needs in 2027 at the special summit to be held in Brussels on 26-27 November. The next regular EU Leaders Summit will be held in Brussels on 17-18 December.

The EU's current support program includes 45 billion euros allocated for Ukraine for 2027.

Despite EU support and other international commitments, it is estimated that Ukraine will have an additional financing gap of approximately 70 billion euros next year.