European Leaders Will Travel To Kyiv, Meet With Zelenskyy

European Leaders Will Travel To Kyiv, Meet With Zelenskyy

Sebastian Hughes on March 15, 2022

The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia will travel to Kyiv on Tuesday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid Russia’s invasion of the country.

The visit’s purpose is to “confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine” and to “present a broad package of support for the Ukraine and Ukrainians,” the Polish government said in a statement Tuesday.

More than 3 million Ukrainians have fled the country since Russia’s attack began, with many traveling to the countries of the visiting prime ministers as a means of escape, Axios reported.

The three leaders are going to Kyiv, an active war zone, with the blessing of the European Union’s leadership, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Axios reported. The EU announced a fourth package of sanctions against Russia on Tuesday, revoking its “most favored nation” trade status and other World Trade Organization benefits.

Zelenskyy submitted a request for Ukraine to join the EU on Feb. 28, just days after Russia began its invasion. He said Ukraine’s “goal is to be together with all Europeans and, most importantly, to be on an equal footing” at the time.

The Ukrainian president has stayed in Kyiv, declining a U.S. offer to evacuate him. “The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride,” he said, according to the Associated Press, citing a U.S. intelligence official with direct knowledge of the conversation.