EU’s von der Leyen in Kiev to mark three years of war

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa have arrived in Kiev in a show of support on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of its neighbour.

Upon her arrival on Monday, von der Leyen said she was in Kiev because “Ukraine is Europe,” she wrote on X.

“In this fight for survival, it is not only the destiny of Ukraine that is at stake. It’s Europe’s destiny.”

She will soon present a plan to scale up EU arms production and defence capabilities – something Ukraine will also benefit from.

Von der Leyen has also announced further measures to increase the energy security of Ukraine and the EU. She said the aim is to fully integrate the electricity markets of Ukraine and Moldova into the EU’s power grid by the end of next year.

In addition to von der Leyen and Costa, a number of Western leaders are expected in the Ukrainian capital to mark the war’s anniversary, including Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.