The European Union will continue to support the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders, that is, until the illegal annexation of Crimea and full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation.

This is stated in the text, which was strongly supported by 26 member states and added to the conclusions of the special meeting of the European Council adopted by the leaders of the European Union in Brussels on Thursday. The text was not supported by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

As it is known, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously stated that Ukraine's return to the 2014 borders is an unrealistic goal. Thus, the EU's position is fundamentally opposed to the new US position.

“The European Union has from the very beginning stood by Ukraine as it exercises its inherent right to self-defence against Russia’s full-scale war of aggression, and it will continue to stand by Ukraine and its people. The European Council reaffirms its continued and unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders,” the EU leaders stated.