Global Courant 2023-05-09 19:21:40
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Kiev today on Europe Day, in an expression of solidarity and symbolism in the face of ongoing Russian aggression.
Mrs. von der Leyen spoke alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy about Ukraine’s European future, while in Moscow, on the day Russia marked its victory over Nazi Germany, President Vladimir Putin said his country is united in its fight against the West over Ukraine. .
Mrs von der Leyen said that Ukraine is fighting against Russia for “European values”.
“Ukraine is on the front line of the defense of everything that we Europeans hold dear: our freedom, our democracy, freedom of thought and speech. “Courageously, Ukraine is fighting for the ideals of Europe that we honor today,” said Mrs. von der Leyen.
Her visit to Kiev on Europe Day comes a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that his country would henceforth celebrate this day “together with all of free Europe”.
“Let me warmly welcome your decision to make May 9 Europe Day in Ukraine as well,” said Mrs. von der Leyen.
By declaring May 9 as Europe Day, Ukraine reiterates its ambition to join Western institutions after applying to join the EU last year following the start of aggression by Russia.
But despite supporting Ukraine with aid and military equipment, its European ambitions and EU sanctions on Russia, membership still appears to be a distant goal, which has caused visible frustration in Ukraine.
During the visit to Kiev, the President of the European Commission paid tribute to the Ukrainian soldiers killed since 2014.
In the visit, which she began shortly before Russian President Vladimir Putin marked the Soviet Union’s victory in World War Two, Ms von der Leyen said Russia had “failed dramatically”.
“Ukraine has resisted the attack and is fighting successfully. Why? First of all, because as a free society, Ukraine can count on the steadfast bravery of its millions of women and men. They fight for our European values.”
In his speech at the annual military parade in Moscow’s Red Square, President Putin said Russians were united in a “holy” war against the West over Ukraine.
“A real war has opened again against our homeland. But we are fighting against international terrorism. We will also protect the people of Donbass and guarantee our security,” he said.
Mr Putin has repeatedly compared the war in Ukraine – which he has portrayed as a defensive move against a West bent on tearing Russia apart – to the challenge Moscow faced when Adolf Hitler invaded the Soviet Union in 1941.
Kiev and the West accuse the Russian president of an unprovoked war in Ukraine. They deny his claim that the expansion of the NATO alliance near Russia’s borders poses a threat to its security or justifies Moscow’s attack.
Russia has recently stepped up long-range attacks on targets in Ukraine as Kiev’s forces prepare to launch a counteroffensive in an attempt to retake territory seized from Russia.
Russia fired at least 25 missiles overnight, most of them aimed at the capital Kiev, but almost all of them were shot down, Ukrainian officials said./VOA
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