Editor’s note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Cyprus to meet his Cypriot counterpart, Nikos Christodoulides, and top EU officials, presidential spokesperson Serhii Nykyforov said on Jan. 7.

In the evening, Zelensky will take part in a ceremony marking the start of Cyprus’s six-month presidency of the Council of the EU.

The president’s visit will also include meetings with Christodoulides at 11:15 a.m. local time, Archbishop George III of Cyprus at 12:15 p.m., and with European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at 3:30 p.m., together with the president of Cyprus, according to Nykyforov.

Christodoulides, who met Zelensky in Kyiv in December, previously affirmed that Ukraine’s efforts to join the EU will be a key priority of Cyprus’s presidency.

Nicosia takes over the EU chairmanship from Denmark, Kyiv’s close partner, which sought to advance the opening of Ukraine’s negotiations clusters but failed to make headway due to Hungary’s opposition.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, widely seen as the most Kremlin-friendly leader in the EU, who often obstructs assistance to Kyiv, alleged that Ukraine’s joining the bloc would lead to “catastrophic consequences.”

Since the outbreak of the full-scale war, Cyprus has provided financial, security, and humanitarian support to Ukraine, including through EU frameworks.

At the same time, Cyprus has been criticized as a gateway for Russian money flowing to the EU and a tax haven for Russian oligarchs.

‌‌Zelensky’s visit to Cyprus follows his meeting with European leaders and U.S. envoys in Paris on Jan. 6 to discuss post-war security guarantees for Ukraine.

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