The heads of the European Union (EU) expressed this Friday their support for Ukraine’s accession process during a summit in kyiv, in full conflict with Russia, which has redoubled its offensive in the east of the former Soviet republic.
(Also: Von der Leyen and Zelensky talk about Ukraine’s accession to the EU and sanctions against Russia)
The meeting was attended by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the Ukrainian President, Volodimir Zelensky, among other members of the European committee and government ministers.
Each step towards the further integration of Ukraine into the EU is a source of inspiration for our people
Ukraine is officially a candidate for membership of the bloc since June 2022, an arduous process that requires numerous renovations and could take yearsbut which the Ukrainian government hopes to speed up.
“We will support them (…) at every stage of their journey towards the EU,” Charles Michel tweeted this Friday upon his arrival in the Ukrainian capital, where anti-aircraft sirens resounded at dawn, recalling the permanent risk that Moscow will attack again kyiv.
President Zelensky considered on Thursday that his country deserves to start EU accession talks “this year”.
(Also: Ukraine announces EU summit as ‘strong signal’ to Russia)
“Each step towards further integration of Ukraine into the EU is a source of inspiration for our people,” he said, and he added that international pressure on Russia should be intensified.
Von der Leyen assured in kyiv that he is working on new sanctions against Russia for February 24, the first anniversary of the invasion.
He did not provide details of the plans for that tenth package of sanctions, but he stated that Moscow must “pay for the destruction it has caused”.
(We recommend: Ukraine warns that Russia is preparing a major offensive for the year of the war)
He considered that the sanctions adopted so far have set the Russian economy back “a generation”, pointing out that the limitation of the price of Russian oil exports to 60 dollars a barrel it costs Moscow 160 million euros ($174 million) a day.
Fear of the Russian offensive
A European embargo on Russian refined oil products exported by sea will come into force this Sunday, a “negative” measure that “will further unbalance” the markets, the Kremlin denounced this Friday.
Also, the Ukrainian government demands that frozen Russian assets in Western countries be used to finance reconstructiona measure that would raise several legal problems.
(Keep reading: The economic crisis behind the UK’s biggest strike in 11 years)
It’s amazing that German tanks
come back to threaten us
For its part, Russia announced on Friday that it had “nationalized” some 500 property and assets belonging, above all, to Ukrainian oligarchs in Crimea, peninsula that Moscow annexed in 2014.
After a series of humiliating setbacks this fall, the Kremlin mobilized hundreds of thousands of reservists and multiplied its land attacks, especially in the east.
Russian forces had some successes on the battlefield around Bakhmut, a town they have been trying to conquer since the summer.
In Kramatorsk, also in the east, where the buildings were the target of an attack on Wednesday, the body of a new victim was found on Thursday, bringing the death toll to four with 18 injured, according to rescue teams.
(Also read: Dangerous Russian convicts, who fought in Ukraine, return home)
The first anniversary of the conflict is approaching and Ukraine fears that Moscow is preparing a new attack large. “Russia is concentrating her forces, we all know that. She wants to take revenge not only on Ukraine, but also on free Europe,” Zelensky said Thursday.
we have with
what to answer
The West finally agreed to send heavy tanks to Ukraine, including German Leopards, American Abrams and British Challengers, after long evasions for fear to an escalation in the conflict.
But kyiv has not received the high-precision missiles with a range of more than 100km that the military says it needs to hit Russian supply lines.
Western promises to deliver tanks they caused great anger in Moscowwhich presents the invasion of Ukraine as a war aimed at preventing Westerners from destroying Russia.
(We invite you to read: The sending of combat aircraft to Ukraine divides the positions of the allies)
During a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory at Stalingrad, Russian President, Vladimir Putin drew parallels between the Russian offensive against Ukraine and World War II.
“It’s incredible that German tanks are threatening us again,” Putin said in Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad, southwest), before adding: “We have what to respond with.”
AFP
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