EU Commission President Visits Ukraine for Key Talks

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, arrived in the Ukrainian capital on November 4th, Saturday. This marks her sixth visit to Kyiv since the onset of the Russian war.

The President of the European Commission reported this on her social media platform X (Twitter), saying, 'It's good to be back in Kyiv during my sixth visit amidst the war. I'm here to discuss Ukraine's path to EU accession, EU financial support for Ukraine's modern democratic prosperity, and how we will continue to make Russia pay for its aggressive war.'

Upon her arrival at the railway station, Ursula von der Leyen was welcomed by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Last week, ahead of the European Commission's annual report on EU enlargement, the President of the European Commission travelled to Western Balkan countries to coordinate efforts and support the reforms necessary for candidate countries to approach EU membership. Given Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the growing threats to global security, the future expansion of the European Union is seen as vital for its survival.

As previously reported by The Gaze, the European Commission is preparing to recommend Ukraine for membership negotiations. Possible interim conditions will be discussed by EU leaders in December of this year. Ukraine hopes that this European Council will make a decision to begin formal negotiations on membership with Ukraine.

Ursula von der Leyen, the Commission President, stated that the EU should continue its integration and open doors to new candidates to provide Europe with 'geopolitical weight and action capability.' She emphasized that the accession process is merit-based, but 'we have seen significant progress Ukraine has already achieved since we granted it candidate status' in June of last year.

While the EU's executive body prepares to recommend the start of membership negotiations with Ukraine, this ensures that Kyiv will continue to receive military and financial support from its allies.

Previously, Ursula von der Leyen called on the EU and the US to double their efforts in supporting Ukraine. She mentioned that Europe and the US should support Ukraine in a way that prevents Russia from continuing this conflict. According to her, Russia will act similarly to its behaviour in other conflicts where it couldn't win; it will attempt to freeze the conflict, as it did in Ukraine in 2014.