A candidate for EU membership, Ukraine is hosting a summit on Friday 3 February with European representatives, a "
strong symbol
", according to the European Commission, of the support of the twenty-seven "
in the face of the unjustified aggression
" of the Russia, which has recently regained ground in the East.
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Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in kyiv on Thursday, accompanied by the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell and around fifteen European commissioners.
EU candidate since June 2022
"
Good to be back in Kyiv, my fourth time since the Russian invasion and this time with my team of stewards
," she tweeted.
"
We are here together to show that the EU stands firmly with Ukraine
."
The President of the European Council Charles Michel is also expected, for discussions which will address in particular the steps for Ukraine's accession to the EU, a difficult process that kyiv intends to accelerate.
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: European Union commissioners land in kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky felt that his country deserved to begin talks “
this year
” regarding entry into the European Union, to which the country has officially been a candidate since June 2022. “
Each step towards greater Ukraine's integration into the EU is a source of inspiration for our people
,” he pleaded, believing that international pressure on Russia should increase further.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during a press conference in kyiv, Ukraine, February 2, 2023. SERGEI SUPINSKY / AFP
New penalties to come
In kyiv, Ursula von der Leyen assured that she was working on new sanctions against Russia for February 24, the first anniversary of the invasion.
She did not give details of her intentions for this tenth package, but assured that the country should "
pay for the destruction it has caused
".
She said the punitive measures taken over the past year have already set back the Russian economy by "
a generation
", noting that capping the price of Russian oil exports at $60 a barrel was costing Moscow 160 million euros a year. day.
Read also“If Ukraine is defeated, Russia will dominate all of Europe and impose its values on it”
A little earlier, the head of Russian diplomacy Sergei Lavrov had taunted the president of the European Commission, accusing her of wanting to annihilate her country and comparing her to the Nazis.
Speaking during ceremonies for the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in Stalingrad, Russian President Vladimir Putin drew a new parallel between Russia's offensive against its neighbor and World War II, seeing in the supply of German tanks to Ukraine a repeat of history.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a press conference in Moscow, Russia, January 31, 2023. POOL / REUTERS
Western chain deliveries
"
It's incredible but German Leopard tanks are threatening us again
," insisted Vladimir Putin, who was speaking from Volgograd (ex-Stalingrad, South West), before adding: "
We have something to answer and that will not be limited to armored vehicles
”.
In the process, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov specified that Russia would use all its potential to respond to Western arms deliveries.
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: why the United States will not deliver their Abrams tanks for several months
The West had finally agreed to send heavy tanks to Ukraine, German-designed Leopards, American Abrams and British Challengers, after long procrastination for fear of provoking an escalation of the conflict.
But kyiv has not yet obtained the high-precision missiles with a range of more than 100 km that the army says it needs to hit Russian logistics lines.
Crew members of a Leopard II tank, in Augustdorf, Germany, February 1, 2023. BENJAMIN WESTHOFF / REUTERS
Concern over a major attack
During a press conference with Ursula von der Leyen, Volodymyr Zelensky estimated Thursday February 2 that Russia was preparing a new major attack.
“
Russia is concentrating its forces, we all know that.
She wants revenge not only on Ukraine but also on free Europe
,” he said.
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: Valeri Guerassimov, Vladimir Putin's trump card
After a series of humiliating setbacks in the fall, the Kremlin mobilized hundreds of thousands of reservists and stepped up its ground attacks, particularly in the east.
Russian forces have had some success on the battlefield around Bakhmout, which they have been trying to capture since the summer.
In Kramatorsk, where buildings were targeted by a strike on Wednesday evening, the body of a new victim was found on Thursday evening, bringing the toll to 4 dead and 18 injured, rescuers said, adding that the search had now ended.
A car destroyed after shelling, in Bakhmout, Ukraine, February 1, 2023. YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP
