Cyprus's president meets Zelensky in Kyiv as Nicosia prepares to chair EU Council

Editor's note: The story is being updated.

Nikos Christodoulides, the president of Cyprus, met with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Dec. 4 as part of the former's official visit to Kyiv, a Cypriot government spokesperson reported.

Christodoulides's visit comes as Cyprus is set to assume the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU in January, with Nicosia viewing enlargement as a "key priority," according to spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis.

"In this deeply symbolic visit, Cyprus is actively expressing its full solidarity with the Ukrainian people and sending the message of its steadfast commitment to the non-negotiable principles of sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of every country," Letymbiotis commented.

Cyprus will take over the sixth-month EU chairmanship after Denmark, Kyiv's close partner that 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."

As part of the visit, Christodoulides and Zelensky are also expected to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral ties and peace efforts in Ukraine.

The two presidents previously met at the seventh summit of the European Political Community in Copenhagen on Oct. 2, where they discussed defense cooperation and joint infrastructure projects.

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

The Cypriot government spokesperson also underscored the shared experience of the "tragic consequences of invasion and occupation" between the two nations, in apparent reference to Turkish military occupation of the northern part of the island — a territory internationally recognized as Cypriot but de facto comprising a self-declared state recognized only by Ankara.

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.