The situation in Ukraine will be at the forefront of the discussions at the EU summit to be held in Brussels on December 19 and the EU-Western Balkans summit to be held the day before, on December 18.

"I am delighted to invite you to my first European Council meeting as President of the European Council, which will be taking place on Thursday 19 December, as well as to the EU-Western Balkans Summit on Wednesday 18 December, both in Brussels... The situation in Ukraine will be at the forefront of our discussions," read the invitation letter from European Council President António Costa, the text of which was made public by the European Council on Saturday.

Costa informed the leaders that he had just returned from Kyiv (as is known, the President of the European Council visited Ukraine on the first day of his mandate). "We need to stand with Ukraine for as long as necessary and do whatever it takes for Russia's invasion to be defeated and international law to prevail. The December European Council meeting is an important occasion to send a united and unequivocal message of support to Ukraine, for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace," the President of the European Council said.

He also said that he had invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the European Council meeting "to share with us the latest developments on the ground and his views on how Europe can best support Ukraine."

Costa named "the EU in the world" as another important issue for the leaders to consider. " I believe that we need a comprehensive and strategic discussion, without written conclusions, on the way forward regarding our global engagement and priorities in a multipolar landscape marked by geopolitical tensions," he said, explaining his vision of the situation.

Costa also believes that EU enlargement "is the main geopolitical investment we can make in our neighbourhood." "Looking beyond our continent, we need to acknowledge the challenges and grasp the opportunities of a plural, multipolar, diverse world. In the current geopolitical context, the European Union can best consolidate its role on the international stage," the President of the European Council said.

At the same time, Costa pointed out that one aspect of this theme is "to determine how we can strengthen the transatlantic bond… while at the same time defending our own interests."

He also named the development of mutually-beneficial strategic relations with the United Kingdom, notably in the field of security and defence, as part of the discussion.

Costa also informed the leaders about how exactly the meeting of the European Council will proceed, which will begin on December 19 " at 10.30h with our traditional exchange of views with the President of the European Parliament, followed by the discussion with President Zelenskyy." "We will then have a debate among ourselves about Ukraine, where we will take stock of the situation and discuss the best way to live up to our commitments to the Ukrainian people. Over lunch, we will discuss the EU's engagement in the world," he said.

The EU leaders will then discuss a report by former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö about strengthening Europe's civil and military preparedness, followed by a review of ongoing work to step up the implementation of a comprehensive approach to migration and a discussion of the situation in the Middle East. The summit will conclude with the customary presentation by Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary, which holds the EU Presidency, of the report on the results of the Presidency of the Council.