Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos strongly condemned Russia’s latest assault on the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Holy Monday. He called the attack “unacceptable” during a key meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council held on Monday in Luxembourg.

Kombos said the missile strike, which killed and injured civilians, marked a “serious escalation” in Russia’s ongoing aggression. He reaffirmed Cyprus’ full support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and called for continued solidarity from EU states.

The council meeting focused heavily on the war in Ukraine, as well as unrest in the Middle East, EU-Africa relations, the Western Balkans, and tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In his remarks, Kombos urged the bloc to fully enforce existing sanctions against Russia and to crack down on efforts by third countries to bypass them. He also backed the EU’s 17th sanctions package currently under discussion.

Turning to the Middle East, the minister expressed grave concern about the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza. He stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire to be respected, for all hostages to be released, and for aid to flow without obstruction.

“The EU must stay engaged,” he said.

Addressing the crisis in Syria, Kombos warned that the country remains “fragile and complex”, with fresh signs of potential new migration flows. He repeated Cyprus’ call for a political transition and a review of sanctions based on recent developments.

“Stability in Syria directly affects regional security,” he said.

On EU-Africa ties, the minister pressed for a united European approach, urging the EU to widen its communication channels and deepen its presence across the continent.

“This must be a joint European effort,” he told counterparts.

He also restated Cyprus’ support for the European future of the Western Balkans but said candidate countries must deliver on reforms and meet enlargement criteria.

Concerning Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, Kombos underlined the importance of maintaining momentum towards normalisation to secure peace in the Caucasus.

On the sidelines of the talks, he met bilaterally with Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen. He is also expected to attend a high-level EU-Palestine dialogue and an intergovernmental conference on Albania’s EU accession.

This latest round of diplomacy comes as the EU seeks to project unity on foreign policy issues amid rising global instability.