Paul Hosford: Ministerial meeting in Ukrainian bomb shelter reminds us of the stakes 

The pitch to ministers was simple: allow money to flow into Ukraine because it is in European interests to do so, writes Paul Hosford in Kyiv

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has long known that foreign support is key to protecting his country's future. File picture: Danylo Antoniuk/AP

The lobby of the Fairmont Grand hotel in Kyiv is salubrious, all marble, dark oak and crystal chandeliers.

Even the metal detectors erected for the arrival of the EU's foreign ministers could not detract from the grandeur.