No sooner had they arrived in kyiv by train than they had to react to a new exaction against civilians, at the other end of the Ukrainian rail network. In Donbass, a missile attack on Kramatorsk station killed at least 50 people, including five children.
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On Friday April 8, President Volodymyr Zelensky symbolically received a visit from the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. It is the first time that a leading European figure has visited the Ukrainian capital since the revelation of the atrocities committed against civilians in Boutcha.
Marks of severity
The head of the European executive, accompanied by her head of diplomacy Josep Borrell, Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger, as well as several MEPs, took the train via the small town of Przemysl, in south-eastern Poland , just 13 km from the Ukrainian border. Josep Borrell, who has “strongly condemned” a “blind attack” in Kramatorsk, and Ursula von der Leyen made a point of going to Boutcha, 30 km north-west of kyiv, to pay tribute to the victims and realize the extent of the horrors committed. The European Commission has offered kyiv to send experts to help investigate war crimes.
Before them, the 1is April, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, made the trip. In mid-March, the prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia were the first to set off for Kyiv, both on behalf of the EU and as neighboring countries.
Reconciliation pledges
Ursula von der Leyen, representative of the guardian institution of the treaties, wants to send the signal of a more pronounced European commitment. That’s why she didn’t come empty-handed. The day before his arrival, a fifth set of sanctions against the Kremlin was adopted, including an embargo on coal, and the prohibition of access to European ports for the majority of Russian ships. During the trip to kyiv, Josep Borrell announced it: the EU representation in kyiv, evacuated to southern Poland, to Rzeszow, the day after the Russian invasion, will return to its premises. The purpose of the ambassador’s return is to show that “Ukraine exists, that there is a capital, a government, and representations of other countries”, justified the Spaniard.
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Another unavoidable subject: Ukraine’s application for EU membership. kyiv made an official application for candidacy on February 28, which Brussels registered. This request cannot remain a dead letter, even if the prospect of becoming a full Member State seems very remote, according to the conclusions of the last European summit. Ursula von der Leyen, who defends accelerated integration, did not want to discourage Volodymyr Zelensky. “It usually takes years for the EU Council to accept the application for membership, but Ukraine got it in a week or twoshe pointed out. Our goal is to present Ukraine’s candidacy for the Council this summer. »
Challenge of tangible help
The EU has also responded to repeated calls from Volodymyr Zelensky to provide military equipment, as the Russian army, withdrawn to the east, is now trying to take control of the whole of Donbass. Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger waited until he was in kyiv to confirm that his country had supplied the S-300 air defense system to Ukraine. Josep Borrell said he was confident that the Twenty-Seven would accept his proposal to increase the military aid fund for Ukraine from 1 to 1.5 billion euros.
Finally, the visit to Kyiv takes place on the eve of the Donors Conference scheduled for this weekend in Warsaw. On Saturday, European leaders are due to take part in the event « Stand Up for Ukraine » (“Stand up for Ukraine”) co-organized by Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. This will involve mobilizing governments and private companies to raise maximum funds for more than 4 million refugees, including 2.5 million in Poland, as well as for the 6.5 million internally displaced people. ‘Ukraine. The European Commission coordinates a network for the delivery of in-kind donations of products such as medicines, medical equipment, vaccines, tents, beds and emergency blankets.