EU-Ukraine summit in Kiev to address prospect of Ukraine's entry into EU, reconstructions in Ukraine

BRUSSELS. Feb 3 (Interfax) - An EU-Ukraine summit will take place in Kiev on Friday with the participation of European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.

A senior European official involved in summit preparations told journalists in Brussels ahead of the meeting that the EU prioritizes relations with Ukraine and the fact that the summit takes place in Kiev sends a very clear signal, addressed to the Ukrainians above all as a token of support.

In his words, the agenda of negotiations highlights the process of Ukraine's entry into the European Union, the EU's response to the conflict in Ukraine, the peace plan of President Zelensky, cooperation in reconstructions and assistance to Ukraine, energy and communication cooperation, and global food security.

Speaking of the "European path" of Ukraine, the official said that the EU was ready to decide on the next stages as soon as Ukraine complied with the necessary terms. He noted that the European Commission had defined seven areas of reforms that must be implemented by the Ukrainian authorities and would review the work done in the near future.

The Council of the European Union said before the meeting that the seventh package of military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 500 million euros had been approved and 45 million euros had been assigned for training Ukrainian troops.

The European official also said that the possible use of Russian assets frozen in the West would also be discussed in Kiev.