Ukraine is a candidate for EU membership, but the start of negotiations has not yet been decided. EU Commission chief von der Leyen will now discuss the country’s reform progress on site before presenting a report on Wednesday.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has traveled to Ukraine again for talks. “I’m here to discuss Ukraine’s path into the EU,” she explained on Platform X. She also wants to talk to President Volodymyr Zelensky about “building Ukraine as a modern and flourishing democracy.”
On Wednesday, von der Leyen will present reports on Ukraine’s reform progress in Brussels. On the basis of this, the heads of state and government of the European Union want to decide in December whether accession negotiations should start with the government in Kiev. The presentation of the reports is the reason for the trip.
On the way to Kiev, the EU Commission President told journalists that she wanted to reassure Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia, “that we are firmly on their side” and give them “encouragement and encouragement.” In addition to the country’s desired accession to the EU, it will also include financial and military support as well as sanctions against Russia.
Ukraine must requirements fulfill
Ukraine has been trying to join the EU for months and has been an official candidate for membership since last summer. However, the 27 EU states still have to unanimously decide on the start of negotiations.
For a positive vote, the country must meet the conditions set by the EU, including a stronger fight against corruption. Commission circles recently said that Ukraine had made great progress, but that it would probably not yet be possible to fully assess all seven requirements as being met.
Apparently dead in Ukrainian attack on Kherson region
Meanwhile, fighting in Ukraine continued. Russian media spoke of a Ukrainian attack on the Russian-occupied part of the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson. At least nine people are said to have been killed and nine others injured, they reported, citing local occupation authorities.
According to the information, Ukraine fired six rockets, four of which were intercepted. The information could not be verified. The affected town of Chaplynka is a good 50 kilometers behind the front line. It was occupied immediately after the start of the Russian invasion more than 20 months ago.
Conflict parties as a source
In the current situation, information on the course of the war, shelling and casualties provided by official bodies of the Russian and Ukrainian parties to the conflict cannot be directly verified by an independent body.
At the same time, the Ukrainian president changed the commander of the military special forces for the second time. According to Zelensky, the previous commander, General Viktor Horenko, was assigned special tasks in the HUR military intelligence service. He had held the post since the end of July 2022. Horenko told the news portal Ukrainska Pravda that he learned of his dismissal from the media. The reasons are unknown to him.
Zelensky appointed Colonel Serhiy Lupanchuk as his successor. He described him as an experienced officer with combat experience who could make the special unit more efficient.