EU Vows To Support Ukraine Ahead of Summit In Kyiv

The European Union (UN) vowed to assist Ukraine “every step of the way”, on Friday, in its efforts to join the bloc as top officials convened in Kyiv for a significant summit.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is hosting the gathering, is pushing the EU to expedite its membership as it fights against a nearly one-year-long Russian invasion.

Last June, the EU gave Ukraine a candidate status; but, the road to full membership is expected to be difficult and might take years.

As air raid sirens blared, EU chief Charles Michel made an announcement of his entry in the Ukrainian capital and vowed that there would be “no let off in our commitment.”

He tweeted, “We will also support you every step of the way on your journey to the EU.”

Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the group, and Josep Borrell, the EU’s top diplomat, are both in Kiev for the summit.

Following their Thursday conversation, Zelensky said that Ukraine “deserves to start negotiations on EU membership this year.”

“Only together a strong Ukraine and a strong European Union can protect the life we value.”

Von der Leyen praised Ukraine’s efforts toward membership and stated that by February 24, the first anniversary of the invasion, the EU hoped to finalize further sanctions against Russia.

Russia dismisses the sanctions

Putin claims that despite the sanctions put in place by Ukraine’s Western partners, Russia is enduring them and that his soldiers will carry on fighting.

However, von der Leyen claimed that the sanctions were already “eroding” the Russian economy and “thrown it back by a generation.”

She calculated that a December oil price ceiling was costing Moscow roughly 160 million euros every day.

Zelensky, however, asserted that the West needed to act more urgently and that Russia was adjusting to the Western solutions.

Now, a G7 price ceiling on these items will go into force on Sunday along with an EU ban on Russian oil products like diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel.

However, Russia issued a warning on Friday, stating that the actions will affect markets globally rather than just the world’s largest country.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, while talking to reporters, said, “This will lead to a further imbalance of the international energy markets, but we are taking measures to hedge our interests against the risks associated.”

Corruption is a major worry for Europe, and Ukraine has recently increased its efforts to combat it and officials have warned of a continuing battle against an “internal enemy.”

The security services conducted highly publicized raids on the homes of a former interior minister and an oligarch with strong political ties as part of the most recent steps.

Concerns of a new offensive

Despite a steady flow of arms and ammunition, Russian forces are pressing Ukrainian troops in the eastern Donetsk region, now the epicenter of fighting.

Moscow has been trying to seize control of Bakhmut in the industrial region for months in what has become the longest and bloodiest battle of the invasion.

But Zelensky warned von der Leyen that Russia is consolidating its forces for a fresh offensive.

Russia is “preparing to try to take revenge, not only against Ukraine, but against a free Europe and the free world”, he told a press conference on Thursday.

According to a tweet by von der Leyen, Ukraine was “taking noteworthy strides ahead to satisfy our suggestions, while battling an invasion at the same time.”

She noted that the EU was “working on extending tariff-free access to our market” and asserted that “we have never been closer.”

For Ukraine to allay the worries of its allies for further financial help as well as military aid, reforms must be implemented.

Ukraine is now requesting long-range missiles and fighter jets from the West after receiving pledges from the West on the delivery of contemporary battle tanks to combat Russian forces.

A spokesman for the German government announced on Friday that Berlin has given the go-ahead for the shipment of Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine, following up on the announcement made last month that the weapons would be supplied.