Ursula Von der Leyen in Kyiv to mark Europe Day

To show her support for Ukraine, the President of the European Commission arrived in the capital on Tuesday morning.

By Le Figaro with AFP

Published update

The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen arrived in kyiv on Tuesday to mark Europe Day and show her support for Ukraine in the face of the Russian offensive, the day when Moscow commemorates the victory over Nazi Germany.

Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv on an overnight train from Poland to meet the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and work on Ukraine’s application to join the European Union, according to the accompanying press pool. Shortly before his arrival, anti-aircraft sirens sounded for two hours in kyiv.

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europe day

The Ukrainian president signed a decree on Monday for May 9 to be celebrated in his country as Europe Day, as is the case in Brussels. He thus renounced any commemoration of the victory over Nazi Germany on May 9, as in the Soviet tradition celebrated in Russia, which is organizing a grand military parade in red square.

I warmly welcome President Zelensky’s decision to make 9 May Europe Day. Ukraine is part of our European familyvon der Leyen told the press pool on her train to kyiv. “My presence in Kyiv today, 9 May, is symbolic, but it is also a sign of a crucial and very practical reality: the EU is working hand in hand with Ukraine on many issues.»

Missile firing

The Ukrainian army announced in the morning that it had shot down 23 of the 25 missiles launched by Russia against its territory during the night. The alert in kyiv ceased an hour before Mrs von der Leyen’s arrival. On Monday evening, eight Kinjal-type hypersonic missiles launched by Russia into eastern Ukraine from the Black Sea were shot down, the Ukrainian Air Force said on Telegram.

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On Tuesday morning, 15 of the 17 X-101/X555 cruise missiles fired from the Caspian were intercepted in the center and south of the country, she added.

Closing Sanctions Gaps

The two leaders are also expected to discuss the European strategy to increase the supply of ammunition to Ukrainian forces and Kiev’s growing financial needs for the next year. Ursula von der Leyen will also inform her Ukrainian partner of the 11th package of sanctions from Brussels targeting companies that support the Russian war machine and seek to circumvent the existing system.

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We are determined to close the existing gaps“, she said. “No one should doubt it“. The Russian army currently occupies most of the eastern region of Donbass, part of the southern coast and Crimea. The Ukrainians succeeded in driving the invaders out of the Kharkiv (north) and Kherson (south) region last fall but their advance has since stalled.

Westerners are supporting kyiv with money and arms while promising the country eventual membership of the European Union and NATO. They are now awaiting a new Ukrainian offensive which they hope could force Russian President Vladimir Putin to step down or at least agree to talks. In the meantime, Brussels is helping the Ukrainian government carry out anti-corruption and good governance reforms to enable it to begin EU accession talks that could last several years. In the coming weeks, the European Commission will issue an interim opinion on Kyiv’s progress ahead of an official written report in October.

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