The EU has demanded a reform of Ukraine's notoriously corrupt and politicized prosecution service and called for making the procedure for picking the prosecutor general less political and more merit-based. Meanwhile, anti-corruption activists and pro-reform lawmakers have accused the Ukrainian authorities of sabotaging rule of law reforms and resisting the demand for depoliticizing the Prosecutor General's Office.

"This step shows our commitment to supporting Ukraine's path to EU membership," the EU's Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said.

"It would be simply wrong to split us apart on our way into the EU — I hope not. Morally wrong," President Volodymyr Zelensky told EU leaders.

"We supported Trump's energy ceasefire but we see Russia did not respect it, and so we have to increase the pressure," von der Leyen told journalists, before announcing that the EU is working on a new 22nd package of sanctions against Russia.