European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kiev on Thursday, 15th to talk about Ukraine’s project for integration into the bloc, at a time when Ukrainian forces were victorious over Russian troops.
The visit coincides with the meeting of Russian and Chinese presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, presented as an “alternative” to the West on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan.
“In Kiev for my third visit since the start of the war with Russia,” the European leader tweeted, on his first visit to the country since Ukraine’s candidacy to join the European Union (EU).
“As Ukraine moves towards joining the bloc, I will speak with (President Volodymyr) Zelensky and (Prime Minister) Denis Shmigal about how we can continue to bring our economies and populations closer together,” von der Leyen said.
In June, European countries approved Ukraine’s EU candidate status, which has intensified its efforts to join the bloc and NATO since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24.
In response to the invasion, Western countries adopted a wide range of sanctions against Russia and sent weapons to Kiev, and this support has helped Ukrainian forces regain their territory in the counteroffensive in recent weeks.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Thursday that she expects a swift decision by Berlin on the possible delivery of combat vehicles, against the reluctance shown by Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The ecology minister told the newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that the deliveries, especially the Leopard 2 tanks, would help “save lives”.
Ukraine also seeks financial support as its economy suffers from the consequences of the war and its energy situation is at risk for the winter.
Finance Minister Serguii Marchenko said in May that Kiev needs $5 billion a month to cover its budget deficit.
‘Active War’
On Wednesday, the Ukrainian president visited the strategic city of Izium, recently retaken from Russian forces in the Kharkov (northeast) region, where he promised “victory”.
In his daily speech, Volodymyr Zelensky celebrated the “recovery” of almost the entire Kharkov region after the recapture of “400 places” by Russian troops, which according to him meant “a return to a normal and safe life for 150,000 people.” Ukrainians staying in this region”.
According to a spokesperson, before speaking, the Ukrainian president had an accident in Kiev “when a car collided” with his vehicle, but was not seriously injured.
The Ukrainian counteroffensive surprised the Moscow troops.
In response, Russia bombed its water infrastructure Wednesday night, causing the Inhulets River in Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyi Rig to overflow.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, Deputy Chief of the Presidential General Staff, said that 112 houses were flooded in the city with a population of approximately 600 thousand, but the attack did not cause any loss of life.
On the eastern front, several towns and villages have been bombed in the past 24 hours, including Toretsk, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Chasov Yar: the attacks killed two civilians and injured 13, according to the presidency.
In the Kherson region (south), where Ukrainian forces are also launching a counterattack against Moscow’s troops, but are facing greater resistance than in Kharkiv, the situation is “extremely difficult in active combat,” according to the Ukrainian government.
Far from Ukraine, the presidents of China, Xi Jinping, and Russia, Vladimir Putin, are meeting in Uzbekistan this Thursday to strengthen their alliance against Western countries.
For Putin, the summit is an opportunity to show that despite the invasion of Ukraine, Russia cannot be isolated internationally.
China has not openly supported the war in Ukraine, but has established economic and strategic ties with Russia during the months of conflict, and Xi has expressed support for the country’s “sovereignty and security”.
source: Noticias
