It was a visit the Ukrainian government needed. European Commission President von der Leyen was in Kyiv on Saturday, November 4, for a day of meetings and speeches aimed at reaffirming the European Union's "unwavering" support for the war-torn country. Apart from the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which "is distracting attention" from Ukraine, as President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged at a press conference, the country is going through a critical period, between the supposed "fatigue" of its allies and the difficulties of the Ukrainian army on the front line.
Von der Leyen's sixth visit since the start of the Russian invasion took place just days before the expected publication, on November 8, of a crucial report by the European Commission on Kyiv's progress in the seven reforms it was given to implement in June 2022 in connection with its EU candidate status.
The implementation of these recommendations, involving justice, corruption, national minorities and the media, is considered necessary before opening any negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU. "I must say you have made excellent progress. This is impressive to see. We will testify to this next when the Commission will present its report on enlargement," von der Leyen assured at a press conference. "Ukraine is ready and will continue reforms," Zelensky responded.
"Ukraine has completed all the tasks within seven recommendations of the EU Commission" Olga Stefanishyna, deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "Our progress is well recognized. That said, we should not forget these are only the first steps toward Ukraine's full integration into the EU. Reforms continue in advancing, with more to come."
The European Commission's report, to be published on November 8, is expected to have a decisive impact on the EU 27 member states, who will vote on whether or not to open accession negotiations with Ukraine at a summit in Brussels in mid-December.
In the event of a positive response, Kyiv will then embark on a lengthy procedure to complete its reforms and bring itself into line with EU legislation in over 30 areas, including the rule of law and the economy. In an initial assessment in June, the European Commission declared that two of the seven recommendations had been met by Kyiv.
Von der Leyen also spoke of the EU's efforts to deliver a €50 billion aid package to finance Ukraine over the next four years, which she hopes to reach an agreement on "by the end of the year." She also assured that a 12th package of sanctions against the Russian Federation will be announced next week to member states. This package will include a list of sanctioned persons and new import and export bans, as well as "actions to tighten the oil price cap" and to "further crack down on sanctions circumvention," she specified on X.
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