Zelenskiy warns of ‘political storm’ threatening support for Kyiv

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urged European countries to maintain unity in supporting his country, cautioning against a “growing political storm” in the United States.

Leaders of more than 40 European countries met in Spain on Thursday and discussed Russia’s invasion after support for Ukraine was tested by an electoral victory for a Russian-leaning populist in neighbouring Slovakia and a debt deal in the US that left out funding for Kyiv.

Cutting support for Ukraine has become a rallying cry among some hardline Republicans, which led to aid for Ukraine being cut out of a bipartisan deal to avoid a federal shutdown reached this weekend.

This has fuelled concerns that Kyiv may lose its most important military backer if former US president Donald Trump is re-elected next year.

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“It’s a difficult election period for the United States. There are different voices, some of these voices are very strange,” Mr Zelenskiy told reporters, appearing more downbeat than in previous international events.

Europe also faces a series of key elections including the European Parliament vote next spring, and Mr Zelenskiy warned of the risks of potential interference.

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“Russia will attack by information, disinformation, by fakes,” he told reporters. “The main challenge that we have, all of us, is to save unity in Europe.”

The European Political Community gathering in Granada brought together more than 40 leaders from across the continent to discuss security and other common issues.

In an opening address to the leaders, Mr Zelenskiy urged them that they needed to be ready to step up to defend Europe’s interests, regardless of what may happen in the US.

“Despite what happens in other parts of the world… what political tornados our partners experience, Europe must be strong,” he told the summit.

“Now Europe is following the developments in America and the growing political storm. Europe has its own potential for strength, and its global role, which should be as powerful as possible in all key issues that are important for Europe.”

On the sidelines of the summit, a smaller group of six key leaders met in a bid to agree a toughened common approach towards migration.

The meeting of Britain’s Rishi Sunak, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, the Netherlands’ Mark Rutte, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Albania’s Edi Rama lasted over an hour in a small room with seats for just eight people.

It gathered together the most influential voices in Europe’s migration debate, together with Albania which is a key country due to the involvement of some of its citizens in people-smuggling organisations.

Ms Meloni has led calls for Europe to toughen its borders, and was a key player with Mr Rutte in the signing of a controversial agreement that offered cash to Tunisia to stop boats departing to cross the Mediterranean.

An EU source said the six leaders had jointly vowed to support each other “to tackle the challenges of irregular migration”.

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They committed to crack down on criminal gangs that organise crossings for migrants, including by strengthening laws against the practice, and to seek more agreements to beef up the ability of countries of departure to harden their borders and prevent crossings.

The leaders also agreed there should be more international co-operation on deportations.

All 44 countries would be invited to co-operate in tackling irregular migration, in the hopes of reaching an agreement when Britain hosts the next European Political Community summit in June, French president Emmanuel Macron told media.

Broad co-operation would allow countries “to be more efficient vis-à-vis the smugglers” Mr Macron said. “We will have common actions based on a coalition of the willing.”