EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kiev this morning to symbolically celebrate May 9th, Europe Day. Von der Leyen arrived on a night train from Poland; later talks with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj are planned. According to Commission spokesman Eric Mamers, the visit is marked by “the EU’s unreserved support for Ukraine”.
It is von der Leyen’s fifth visit to the Ukrainian capital since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It takes place under increased security precautions due to the increased Russian missile attacks.
Europe Day commemorates the signing of the Schuman Declaration in May 1950. It is considered the first step towards the European Union. In this context, the EU Commission welcomed Zelensky’s announcement that from now on May 9 would be Europe Day instead of the day of victory over Nazi Germany. The EU granted Ukraine EU candidate status in June 2022, four months after the Russian war of aggression began.
