The day before the EU-Ukraine summit, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, arrived in Kiev on Thursday. She announced new sanctions against Russia. “Between now and February 24, exactly one year after the start of the invasion, we want to complete a tenth package of sanctions,” von der Leyen said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. She came with 15 EU Commissioners.
The sanctions imposed so far have already caused significant damage to the Russian economy. The price cap on Russian oil alone costs Moscow “about 160 million euros a day,” von der Leyen said. The new sanctions package, which has been in preparation since December, is expected to include new entry and property bans for those responsible in Russia and its affiliated country, Belarus. A price ceiling for Russian petroleum products such as diesel or kerosene will also come into effect on Sunday, the EU states are still discussing the amount. All sanctions require a unanimous decision from the 27 EU countries.
“Nice to be back in Kyiv”
“Nice to be back in Kiev, my fourth visit since the Russian invasion,” von der Leyen wrote on Twitter, alongside a photo of her arrival on the night train in the Ukrainian capital. “We are here together to show that the EU is as committed to Ukraine as ever.” Topics of the deliberations should in particular include further options for assistance and the EU accession prospects for the country attacked by Russia. Von der Leyen is joined by several commissioners for the first time. The highlight of the trip is the EU-Ukraine summit on Friday, where EU Council President Charles Michel is also expected.
Program for Ukrainian soldiers doubled, more money for demining
In Kiev, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell confirmed previous statements in Brussels that member states now want to train a total of 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers on EU territory – twice as many as previously agreed. This includes “special training and technical instruction on new equipment, including Leopard 2 tanks,” Borrell tweeted. Germany and other EU countries have promised Ukraine such main battle tanks. An additional 25 million euros will be made available for mine clearance in reclaimed areas.
Zelenskyj puts pressure on the accession process
Selenskyj recently said in a video address to his compatriots that he expects decisions from EU partners that reflect the clear progress made on reforms. He was referring to the fact that the EU admitted Ukraine to the list of candidate countries last June, but made the start of accession negotiations conditional on the fulfillment of seven conditions.
Source: Krone
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