An EU-Ukraine summit is taking place in Kyiv today.
Heads of state and government are not expected, but extensive support in the fight against Russia.
The news ticker.
EU summit
in
Ukraine
: In Kiev it is about further aid for the country attacked by Russia.
New
Russia sanctions
: Von der Leyen announces next package.
This
news ticker
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EU summit
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Kiev
is constantly updated.
Update from February 3, 11:40 a.m
.: The start of the EU-Ukraine summit in Kiev was overshadowed by a nationwide air alert on Friday.
According to information from the capital, it was triggered because of the use of Russian warplanes in the airspace over Belarus.
From there, rockets are regularly fired in the direction of Ukraine.
It was initially unclear whether the air alert had an impact on the summit.
For security reasons, no information was given on the exact procedure.
It was only announced that there should be a working session and a press conference, among other things.
Shortly after 12:30, the Ukrainian radio station
Suspilne reported
that the air raid alarm was over.
Update from February 3, 9.40 a.m
.: President Vladimir Putin should be held accountable for the Ukraine war: the head of state in Kiev and politicians in Europe and the USA have been demanding this since the start of the Russian war of aggression on February 24, 2022. A prosecution of Russian However, being responsible is extremely complicated.
For the time being, Putin and those closest to him need not fear any consequences.
In addition to the USA, the EU is also campaigning for legal punishment for Russian crimes.
"Russia and all perpetrators and accomplices will be held accountable," says the draft of a summit declaration that the EU heads of state and government want to adopt in Brussels next week and that is available to the AFP news agency.
However, there is disagreement about the way and a corresponding special tribunal.
As long as this has not been clarified, a kind of special investigator's office is to collect evidence.
This "international center for the prosecution of the crime of aggression in Ukraine" is to be set up in The Hague, as announced by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Kyiv on Thursday.
Update from February 2, 10:25 p.m .:
Anton Hofreiter, chairman of the European Committee in the Bundestag, considers Ukraine’s EU accession in the next two years to be unrealistic.
"It's hard to imagine taking in a country that's at war," said the Green politician on Friday (February 3, 2022) in the
ARD morning show.
In addition, Ukraine must first meet certain requirements in order to join the EU, for example in dealing with corruption or in relation to the rule of law.
"You definitely don't want to see other accession candidates develop in the way Hungary did, where the rule of law and freedom of expression have been destroyed," said Hofreiter.
The Green politician considers Ukraine's accession in five or six years to be appropriate.
It shouldn't take much longer, however, because a protracted prospect of accession could demotivate people.
New Russia sanctions: Von der Leyen announces next package
Update from February 2, 10:25 p.m.:
With a view to the EU-Ukraine summit this Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has called for a concrete accession perspective for his country.
"I believe that Ukraine deserves to start negotiations on EU membership already this year," said Zelenskyy in his evening address on Thursday.
Further integration into the European Union would give Ukrainians "energy and motivation to fight despite all obstacles and threats".
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel want to meet with Zelenskyj in Kyiv this Friday.
Ukraine has had candidate country status since June.
It usually takes many years to become a member.
Another topic of the summit, which takes place under strict security precautions, is additional European support in the war against Russia.
In view of the difficult situation - especially in the east - Zelenskyi reiterated his call for increased pressure on Russia.
Strategically, Russia's defeat is already foreseeable.
"But tactically they still have resources for offensive attempts.
They are looking for ways to change the course of the war.”
EU-Ukraine summit: Von der Leyen arrives in Kyiv - and promises further support
First report from February 2nd:
Kiev - Before the EU-Ukraine summit taking place on Friday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kiev.
Already on Thursday, at the start of her two-day visit to Kyiv, she promised further extensive support in the fight against Russia: "Our presence in Kyiv today is a very clear signal: The entire European Union is on the side of Ukraine in the long term," said the German politician alongside President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Ukraine has become the center of Europe.
"To the place where our values are upheld, where our freedom is defended and where the future of Europe is written."
For the former defense minister, it is the fourth trip since the beginning of the war to the country that is impatiently striving to join the EU.
For the first time she was accompanied by 15 EU commissioners.
The highlight of the trip is to be an EU-Ukraine summit this Friday.
EU Council President Charles Michel is also expected to attend, but not the heads of state and government of the 27 member states.
It is the first summit of its kind in a country in the middle of a war.
EU-Ukraine summit in Kyiv: Von der Leyen announces further aid for Ukraine
Von der Leyen and her team announced further financial, military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine on Thursday.
Around 150 million euros are to be made available for the reconstruction of the energy infrastructure destroyed by Russia.
In addition, the EU will provide 2,400 power generators - in addition to the 3,000 that have been supplied since the start of the Ukraine war.
According to von der Leyen, a new package of sanctions against Russia should be decided by the anniversary of the start of the war on February 24.
It would already be the tenth.
The EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also officially announced the expansion of the European training mission for Ukrainian armed forces.
This is to train an additional 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers, bringing the total to 30,000.
According to Borrell, the EU mission will also train the crew of main battle tanks.
This is to ensure that the Ukrainians can effectively use the Leopard 2 tanks that countries like Germany want to provide.
In addition, the EU wants to provide 25 million euros for mine clearance in recaptured areas.
EU-Ukraine summit: Selenskyj seeks support for his country in advance
Zelenskyy campaigned for further support to win the war against Russia.
"Now it's obvious that the dream of a peaceful Europe can only be realized together with Ukraine and only by defeating Russia," said the 45-year-old.
"Ukraine is defending on the battlefield the very values that made Europe unite and unite."
However, accession to the EU is by no means a sure-fire success - even though Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal has recently said several times that Ukraine could do it in the next two years.
In fact, after Ukraine became a candidate for membership last summer, negotiations on accession have not even started.
At the time, the EU linked this step to Ukraine fulfilling seven requirements.
Video: Von der Leyen in Kyiv: for the first time with the EU Commission
It is about the selection process for Ukrainian constitutional judges and a stronger fight against corruption - especially at a high level.
The EU is also demanding that standards in the fight against money laundering be observed and a law against the excessive influence of oligarchs be implemented.
Von der Leyen only touched on these hurdles on Thursday and instead praised the country's "impressive progress".
After the summer, your agency wants to present a detailed report on Ukraine's progress with reforms.
In addition to von der Leyen and Borrell, the Vice-Presidents Margrethe Vestager, Valdis Dombrovskis, Vera Jourova and Margaritis Schinas were part of the EU delegation in Kyiv.
Vice President Frans Timmermans, among others, stayed in Brussels for emergencies.
He is number two in the EU Commission and would take over her duties on an interim basis if President von der Leyen were to fail, for example as a result of a Russian attack on Kyiv.
(dpa/fmü)
