“You became candidates while at war and continue to make significant progress.” So the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, at a press conference in Kiev alongside the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. “It comforts me to see that anti-corruption authorities are on the alert” and that there is a “rapid political reaction. Today we are proposing to Ukraine joining key European programmes, which will give Ukraine benefits close to EU membership in many areas. we will discuss now and I will be happy to give further details in the press conference later,” she added.
Von der Leyen is in Kiev today for a meeting with the Ukrainian government, together with 15 other commissioners. Accompanying her are Vice-Presidents Margrethe Vestager, Valdis Dombrovskis, Josep Borrell (High Representative), Maroš Šefčovič, Věra Jourová, Margaritis Schinas, and Commissioners Nicolas Schmit, Paolo Gentiloni, Janusz Wojciechowski, Didier Reynders, Ylva Johansson, Janez Lenarčič, Olivér Várhelyi, Virginijus Sinkevicius, Mairead McGuinness.
According to the EU executive, the college visit “is a strong symbol of the Commission’s support for Ukraine in the face of unmotivated and unjustified aggression by Russia”. The meeting between the Commission and the Ukrainian government will be an opportunity to exchange information on the many sectors of cooperation between the EU and Ukraine and discuss the country’s imminent reconstruction and European path. The EU-Ukraine summit will be held tomorrow, which will also be attended by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.
“Reconstruction is a great matter and we are at your side. Together we will rebuild this beautiful country”, said the president of the European Commission.
The “economic, humanitarian and military support of the EU to Ukraine since the beginning of the war amounts to almost 50 billion. We will overcome this winter, dear Volodymyr, and many others to come”, recalled von der Leyen.
