European Commission President arrives in Kyiv and meets with Zelenskyy
Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President, has arrived in Kyiv and is scheduled to address the Ukrainian parliament.
Source: Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a member of the Holos (Voice) party faction, on Telegram; Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President, on Twitter (Х)
Quote: "Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President, arrived in Kyiv today [4 November].
We are looking forward to her speech in parliament."
Updated: Later, von der Leyen confirmed her arrival in Kyiv and posted a photo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Kyiv railway station.
Quote: "Good to be back in Kyiv for my 6th war time visit.
I’m here to discuss Ukraine’s accession path to the EU. The EU’s financial support to rebuild Ukraine as a modern, prosperous democracy. And how we will continue to make Russia pay for its war of aggression."
Good to be back in Kyiv for my 6th war time visit.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) November 4, 2023
I’m here to discuss Ukraine’s accession path to the EU.
The EU’s financial support to rebuild Ukraine as a modern, prosperous democracy.
And how we will continue to make Russia pay for its war of aggression. pic.twitter.com/dLJ6bUz4UU
Background:
- Reports of a possible visit to Ukraine by the European Commission President emerged last week. The media suggested that this might indicate a positive assessment of Kyiv's progress in the EU "candidate" reforms.
- Unofficial reports say the European Commission is preparing to release a positive assessment of Ukraine's progress in reforms that it must implement to continue its progress towards the EU on 8 November, but this assessment may contain additional conditions.
- Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, confirmed that Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, would arrive in Kyiv before the report on Ukraine's progress towards EU membership was released.
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