The European Union will continue to support Ukraine as it fends off a brutal Russian attack, EU institution presidents Ursula von der Leyen, Roberta Metsola and António Costa announced on the third anniversary of the invasion.
(Krzysztof Ryncarz / EURACTIV Poland)
“On the third anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion, Europe is in Kyiv. We are in Kyiv today, because Ukraine is Europe”, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is visiting Ukraine to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion, wrote on X.
Alongside von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa and other EU leaders also arrived in Kyiv. The College of European Commissioners also gathered in the Ukrainian capital for a joint meeting with the Ukrainian government and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
On the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and European Council President António Costa issued a joint statement condemning the actions of the Russian government and expressing support for the fighting Ukrainians
“Three years ago Russia started its full-scale and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. Russia’s brutal war deliberately targets civilian and critical infrastructure. The Ukrainian people have shown bravery in defending their country and the core principles of international law. We pay tribute to all those who have sacrificed their lives and have lost loved ones for Ukraine’s independence and freedom,” they said.
“Ukraine is part of our European family. Ukrainians have expressed their desire for a future within the European Union. We have acknowledged this by granting Ukraine the status of a candidate country and launched accession negotiations,” they added, pointing out that Kyiv makes progress on the necessary reforms, “we are already integrating Ukraine into the EU’s internal market”.
“The future of Ukraine and its citizens lies within the European Union,” Costa, von der Leyen and Metsola declared.
The three presidents also said that Russia and its leadership “bear sole responsibility for this war and the atrocities committed against the Ukrainian population.”
“We continue to call for accountability for all war crimes and crimes against humanity committed,” they added.
They also noted that after the Russian invasion began, “the European Union and its partners have acted swiftly and in unity to support Ukraine.” According to the data they cited, the EU has already supported Ukraine with 135 billion euros, of which 48.7 billion was for military aid. They also announced further support for Kyiv and the adoption of another package of sanctions on Russia.
“We stand firm with Ukraine, reaffirming that peace, security, and justice will prevail.,” the statement said.
On February 24, 2022, Russian troops massed along Ukraine’s borders and launched an invasion of the country. Ukraine was attacked from three directions: from Russia in the east, from Belarus in the north, and from the Black Sea in the south.
Initially, Russian troops moved forward quickly and reached as far as the Kyiv area. Over time, however, Ukrainian troops pushed them back. Today, the front line runs through eastern Ukraine, and parts of the country are under Russian occupation.
>Hundreds of thousands of people on both sides of the conflict have already been killed in the war. At the end of last November, the BBC News Russian and the Mediazona news outlet reported that at least more than 80,000 Russian soldiers had died. According to estimates, the losses on the Ukrainian side are also huge: the number of dead is about 60-100 thousand, and the number of wounded is about 400 thousand.
Despite heavy losses, Russia has no intention of stopping the invasion. While the Kremlin is willing to launch negotiations with Kyiv, the military operation will be stopped only if the outcome is satisfactory for Moscow.
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