He is a busy man. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is hosting European Union officials on Friday, February 3, in kyiv, for a Ukraine-EU summit, which he hopes to take advantage of to speed up the process for membership. “Every step towards greater integration of Ukraine into the EU is a source of inspiration for our people”he pleads, believing that his country deserves to start as soon as “This year” negotiations with Brussels. Follow the latest information in our live.
“The EU alongside Ukraine.” The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, arrived in kyiv on Thursday, accompanied by the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell and around fifteen European commissioners. “We are here together to show that the EU stands firmly with Ukraine”, she said. The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, is also expected on site.
A new set of sanctions expected. In kyiv, Ursula von der Leyen assured that she was working on new sanctions against Russia for February 24, the first anniversary of the invasion. She did not give details of her intentions for this tenth package, but assured that the country should “to pay for the destruction he has caused”. She estimated that the punitive measures taken over the past year have already set back the Russian economy by“a generation”.
Moscow evokes the threat of “German tanks”. During ceremonies for the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in Stalingrad on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin drew a new parallel between Russia’s offensive against its neighbor and the Second World War. “It’s unbelievable but German Leopard tanks are threatening us again”he hammered. “We have what to answer and it will not be limited to armored vehicles.”
