European Commission President arrives in Kyiv and meets with Zelenskyy

Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President, has arrived in Kyiv and is scheduled to address the Ukrainian parliament.

Source: Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a member of the Holos (Voice) party faction, on Telegram;  Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President, on Twitter (Х)

Quote: "Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President, arrived in Kyiv today [4 November].

We are looking forward to her speech in parliament."

Updated: Later, von der Leyen confirmed her arrival in Kyiv and posted a photo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Kyiv railway station.

Quote: "Good to be back in Kyiv for my 6th war time visit.

I’m here to discuss Ukraine’s accession path to the EU. The EU’s financial support to rebuild Ukraine as a modern, prosperous democracy. And how we will continue to make Russia pay for its war of aggression."

Good to be back in Kyiv for my 6th war time visit.

I’m here to discuss Ukraine’s accession path to the EU.

The EU’s financial support to rebuild Ukraine as a modern, prosperous democracy.

And how we will continue to make Russia pay for its war of aggression. pic.twitter.com/dLJ6bUz4UU — Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) November 4, 2023

Background:

• Reports of a possible visit to Ukraine by the European Commission President emerged last week. The media suggested that this might indicate a positive assessment of Kyiv's progress in the EU "candidate" reforms.
• Unofficial reports say the European Commission is preparing to release a positive assessment of Ukraine's progress in reforms that it must implement to continue its progress towards the EU on 8 November, but this assessment may contain additional conditions.
• Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, confirmed that Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, would arrive in Kyiv before the report on Ukraine's progress towards EU membership was released.

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