European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and 15 commissioners went to Ukraine on Thursday in the first visit of its kind to a country at war, Foreign Policy reports. Ukraine hopes to one day join the European Union, but EU member states remain concerned about corruption and the health of Ukrainian democracy.
Assia Ivantcheva and Tania Bulakh of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) described the trip to Foreign Policy as “a clear message of unity and solidarity with Ukraine; and demonstration of EU’s commitment to supporting Ukraine in all areas, from political and economic, to humanitarian and military aid.”
“Russia’s war on Ukraine has changed both the EU and Ukraine,” they added. “It has reinvigorated the EU in an unprecedented manner, fostering political will among member states to defend sovereignty, democracy, and EU values. … In Ukraine, the desire to join the EU and NATO has never been stronger across the board.” RTWT
