The importance of EU cooperation with the US, as it is “a necessity, not just an option”, Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said on his arrival at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, stressing that “this is not the time to keep our distance, this is the time for cooperation”.

Kobos said that today’s session will focus on the situation in Ukraine, the Middle East and the Horn of Africa, focusing his remarks on the relationship between the US and the European Union following the re-election of Donald Trump.

“The EU should approach it as a strategic partnership. We should work to intensify dialogue and strengthen communication channels,”
he said.

“This is not a time to keep our distance, this is a time for cooperation, and this is a necessity, not just an option,” he added.

Asked about the outgoing US administration’s decision to allow the use of US missiles by Ukraine against targets within Russia, Kobos noted that this is “an important development” and that “this is something we will discuss today in terms of its impact, how it could have a positive impact in terms of Ukraine’s defense.” He added that “at the same time we have to be aware of how this situation is evolving.”

“We need to coordinate very closely with the Americans, and this is exactly the point I mentioned earlier,” he continued.

Kobos stressed that in relation to all the issues on the current agenda, “we as the European Union cannot handle them alone” and that the important thing is “to be in a situation where synergies are created rather than differences”.