Ukraine is one step closer to the EU and to victory in the war with Russia

Ameer Hamza / Islamabad

Ukraine has become one step closer to the EU and to victory in the war with Russia, which for almost a year has been destroying not only Ukrainian cities and villages, but primarily lives of Ukrainians. This conclusion can be made from the results of the next EU-Ukraine Summit, which took place on February 3 in Kyiv.

The fact that Ukraine has unconditional support from the European Union in the war against the Russian Federation is evidenced by many facts and statements by world leaders. One of them was made by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in Kyiv during the EU-Ukraine Summit. Ukraine is fighting for common values, for the observance of international law and the principles of democracy, so Ukraine must win this war, she said.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said in Kyiv that Ukraine should receive all the necessary military equipment and training to protect its territory and its people from the Russian war of aggression. He also stressed that Ukrainians were not just defending their country, they were also defending common values and the basic principles of international law.

A symbolic signal of the EU’s unprecedented support is the very fact that such a high-level meeting took place in the capital of Ukraine in the conditions of a full-scale war. Similar summits have been held almost annually since 1997, in Ukraine or in one of the European cities in turn.

During the summits, Ukrainian and European officials discuss behind closed doors the formats and priorities of cooperation, as well as Ukraine’s progress on the path of European integration. This time, the summit was to be held in Brussels, as previously it was held in Kyiv. Thus, the decision of the EU leaders to arrive in the capital of the belligerent country is quite bold and indicative, that emphasizes the EU’s support at hard times for Ukraine.

In the margins of the Summit, the leaders will discuss many issues, including Ukraine’s European path and the accession process, Ukraine’s initiatives for just peace and Russia’s accountability for war crimes, cooperation in reconstruction and relief, and also in the energy sector, according to agenda previously published on the website of the Council of the EU. New sanctions against Russia are also on the agenda. This will already be the 10th EU sanctions package, which undoubtedly also helps to counter Russian aggression.

This is the first EU-Ukraine summit since the start of the Russian aggression, and also since the European Council granted Ukraine the status of candidate country. The EU is amazed by Ukraine’s accelerated pace towards the EU membership in the six months since gaining this status, as the war is not over yet. Ukraine applied for EU membership in February 2022 and was granted EU candidate status in June 2022. The government of Ukraine expects that the country will finish negotiations on joining the European Union in less than two years.

The 24th EU-Ukraine Summit, which took place in Kyiv, was very important. It was held in the capital of the country, which has been resisting Russian aggression for almost a year, defending the borders of its country and Europe as a whole. Perhaps this is a clear signal not only for Ukrainians about strong support of their country, but also for the Kremlin, as the whole world saw that support for Ukraine really continues to increase, reaching a new level.