Much more than a symbolic visit. But the fact that Ursula von der Leyen’s first official trip after being confirmed as head of the European Commission is to Kiev, to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky, is also something symbolic that represents a further confirmation of the commitment to supporting Ukraine. Especially the day after the vote in the European Parliament that authorizes Kiev to strike the Russian bases from which attacks against Ukrainian cities are launched. Even more so if the trip brought with it a further soft loan of 35 billion in addition to the promise of other aid. “I am here to tell you and the Ukrainian people that the European Union is here to help you as you fight for your survival,” said von der Leyen. “I thank you for your work on the implementation of our peace formula,” said Zelensky. But beyond the more or less formal words there is more.
The operational line is always the same with the aim of arriving in a reasonable time to a real and concrete dialogue that will lead to the end of the conflict: bring Ukraine to negotiate in a position of strength. Therefore, support it in the war effort in order to put pressure on Russia. “This year we will organize the second peace summit, with which we will put an end to the war, so that peace is truly reliable,” Zelensky reiterated. How to get there, to peace, he himself explains once again. “It is necessary to put more pressure on Russia. Russia must not get used to our pressure. And there should be no divisions on the sanctions packages.” Also for this reason the Ukrainian leader will be in New York for the work of the United Nations where he will bring his plan to the President of the United States Joe Biden. “I really hope he will support it. It is designed for decisions that will have to be taken from October to December … We would like that very much. Then we believe that the plan will work,” he said.
For her part, von der Leyen confirmed that she had “started to transfer the proceeds of Russian assets frozen in the EU to your army. This summer we transferred the first 1.4 billion euros, in the form of orders for weapons and equipment via the European Peace Facility. We purchase for Ukraine in Ukraine, so that the added value is increased, from the pockets of the Russian state, for your defense industry. This makes Europe the number one public investor in your defense sector”, said the president of the European Commission announcing that a commission office in Kiev is already operational that will connect the Ukrainian and EU defense industries. Concrete actions, such as the promise that Europe will not leave Ukraine in the dark in view of the upcoming winter and Russian attacks on energy plants, and a further handout. “The EU Commission will provide Ukraine with a loan of up to 35 billion euros as part of the G7 commitment”, promised von der Leyen.
If Kiev’s plan is to strike and force Moscow to negotiate at a disadvantage, Russia has other plans.
“Once the West stops supplying weapons to the Kiev regime and sponsoring terrorist activity, this could be seen as a signal towards a political-diplomatic agreement,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, a hawk in a skirt, the one who until now has always used harsh words against everyone and everything, even to the point of absurdity. Who knows, perhaps with the strengthening of Ukraine, the wind, even in the Kremlin, is really starting to change.