The European Parliament will open a permanent representation in Kyiv to deepen day-to-day cooperation with Ukraine, Parliament President Roberta Metsola told lawmakers during an address to the Verkhovna Rada on 17 September. “We are opening a permanent representation of the European Parliament here in Kyiv,” she said.
Metsola framed the decision as an operational step to embed parliamentary cooperation on the ground. She said the office would allow the institution to “work alongside” Ukrainian counterparts on a daily basis and indicated the opening would take place this week. No further specifics on location, staffing or mandate were provided in the speech.
In the same address, Metsola outlined elements of ongoing EU support for Ukraine. She cited cumulative European assistance mobilised since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, including military aid and the Ukraine Facility, and said further measures were in preparation, referring to the EU’s next sanctions package. She also highlighted initiatives to bolster Ukraine’s defence industrial capacity and efforts to use proceeds from immobilised Russian assets. These points were presented as part of the Parliament’s broader backing for Kyiv.
On accession, Metsola said Ukraine’s EU membership is, in her view, a security guarantee, and called for the opening of negotiating clusters as the next step in the process. She linked this to ongoing legislative alignment and the strengthening of anti-corruption institutions, noting that inter-parliamentary cooperation was already producing “concrete results” in areas such as roaming and trade facilitation.
The announcement came during Metsola’s latest visit to the Ukrainian capital, where she met senior officials and addressed parliament. According to local reporting, this is her fourth visit to Kyiv since 2022. The Kyiv Independent said talks would cover accession efforts and sanctions policy.
A permanent European Parliament presence in Kyiv would add to the institution’s existing liaison office network. The Parliament maintains liaison offices in all EU capitals and has two offices outside the European Union, in London and Washington, D.C. The Washington office’s site describes it as “the only European Parliament office outside the European Union,” while the Parliament’s liaison-offices portal now lists both London and Washington as external locations. The Kyiv office would therefore represent an expansion of that footprint.
The European Parliament’s representation would be distinct from the European Union Delegation to Ukraine, which is part of the European External Action Service and has long operated in Kyiv. The Delegation’s public information confirms its presence in the city and outlines its diplomatic role. Metsola’s announcement concerns the Parliament’s own institutional office focused on inter-parliamentary work rather than the EU’s diplomatic mission.
Metsola’s remarks also reiterated the Parliament’s intention to sustain support “until peace is ensured, freedom is restored and Ukraine becomes a full member of our European family,” positioning the new office as part of that long-term engagement. She closed by underlining the permanence of the EU legislature’s on-the-ground presence in Ukraine: “We are here to stay.”
The opening of a Kyiv representation follows a period in which EU institutions have increased direct engagement with Ukraine’s parliament, including regular committee-to-committee formats and joint meetings between the Verkhovna Rada and European Parliament. Those formats have been used to coordinate legislative alignment, oversee the use of EU funds and discuss security assistance.
While Metsola did not disclose an exact inauguration date beyond “this week”, the creation of a permanent parliamentary office in Kyiv signals an intention to formalise and intensify routine, technical cooperation with the Rada as Ukraine advances through the accession process. It also places parliamentary staff in the capital alongside other EU bodies already present, facilitating contact with Ukrainian legislators, ministries and civil society on legislation tied to the acquis. Further details are expected to follow from Brussels and Kyiv in due course.
