Top EU officials visit Ukraine in show of solidarity
World
Their visit comes as Ukraine struggles to fend off a grinding Russian offensive
KYIV (Reuters) - European Council President Antonio Costa and Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, arrived in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Sunday, using the first day in their new roles to send a message of support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Their visit comes as Ukraine struggles to fend off a grinding Russian offensive and faces the uncertainty of US policy toward Kyiv when Donald Trump takes office next month.
"From day one of the war, the EU has stood by the side of Ukraine," Costa posted on X alongside an image of himself, Kallas and EU enlargement chief Marta Kos arriving via train.
"From day one of our mandate, we are reaffirming our unwavering support to the Ukrainian people."
Both Kallas and Costa have been strong supporters of Ukraine since Russia's February 2022 invasion. However, neither can make specific pledges of further aid, requiring the support of the EU's national governments.
The EU says its institutions and member countries have made available some $133 billion in Ukraine aid since the start of the war, but future support remains uncertain especially if Trump reduces US support.
Trump has criticised the scale of aid for Kyiv and has said he will seek a swift end to the war, but without specifying exactly how.
On the battlefield, Moscow's troops are capturing village after village in a drive to eventually seize the industrial Donbas region, while Russian airstrikes are targeting Ukraine's hobbled energy grid as winter sets in.
"In my first visit since taking up office, my message is clear: the European Union wants Ukraine to win this war," Kallas wrote on X. "We will do whatever it takes for that."
As prime minister of Estonia, which borders Russia, Kallas emerged as one of the most vociferous critics of Russia. Moscow this year put her on a wanted list for destroying Soviet-era monuments.
Costa, a former prime minister of Portugal, is tasked with coordinating the work of the European Union's national leaders and chairing their summits as president of the European Council.
At a ceremony in Brussels on Friday, he said everyone was yearning for peace after more than 1,000 days of the Ukraine-Russia war, "especially the embattled and heroic Ukrainian people".
"Peace cannot mean capitulation. Peace must not reward the aggressor," he added.
