The President of the European Commission arrived in kyiv on Thursday. It is the third visit of Ursula von der Leyen to the Ukrainian capital since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
“In kyiv for my third visit since the beginning of the Russian war. A lot has changed. Ukraine is now a candidate for the European Union. I will discuss with Zelensky and Denys Shmygal how to continue to bring our economies and people closer together as Ukraine moves towards accession.” , wrote the head of the community executive on the social network Twitter.
The announcement of von der Leyen’s visit to kyiv was made by her on Wednesday, while speaking on the State of the Union at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
Less than a week after the start of Russia’s invasion, on February 24, Ukraine formally submitted its application for membership and, in early April, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, hand-delivered, in kyiv, to President Volodymyr Zelensky the questionnaire that the Ukrainian authorities, for their part, completed and sent to Brussels.
EU candidate status, which can only be granted if all member countries unanimously agree, is a first step. Accession will only take place if Ukraine fulfills the economic and political conditions, including respect for democratic principles.
On February 24, Russia launched a military offensive in Ukraine that has killed at least 4,597 civilians and wounded 5,711, according to UN data, underlining the true numbers could be much higher.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine was condemned by most of the international community, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia that affect virtually every sector, from banking to sports.
Source: TSF
