Ukraine Will Be Part of the EU Over Time: Ursula von Der Leyen

By Etienne Ansotte, © European Union,

In an interview with Euronews on Sunday, EU President Ursula von der Leyen stated that, with time, Ukraine will belong to the European Union and that the EU desires Ukraine to become a member.

Von der Leyen's comments followed Brussels' announcement it would provide significant amounts of arms to the Ukrainian military, ban Russian-backed media in the EU, and ban Russian aircraft from using EU airspace.

Ukraine shares our values and defends our principles, so there is a strong sense of solidarity. Von der Leyen told the France-based network that Russia is trying to attack peaceful democracy.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine's president, also tweeted late Sunday night that his telephone call with von der Leyen covered matters such as Ukraine's defense capabilities, macro-financial assistance, and EU membership.

The comments by von der Leyen will no doubt enrage Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has used historical claims over the former Soviet nation of Ukraine to justify his invasion of the country.

Several U.S. officials have expressed concern that Russia's invasion has not gone as planned, and its military advance has been slower than expected, but the situation is still unclear.

“We agreed that the Ukrainian delegation would meet with the Russian delegation without preconditions on the Ukrainian–Belarusian border, near the Pripyat River,” Zelensky said.

28 Feb 2022