The visit comes as Kiev is on the defensive as Western aid and Russian territorial gains slump.
Western leaders, including European Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen and Canada's Justin Trudeau, arrived in Ukraine to show solidarity with Kiev, which is entering its third year of war with Russia. .
Ms. von der Leyen, Mr. Trudeau, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander Decroo arrived in the country on Saturday by overnight train from neighboring Poland.
Prime Minister Meloni, who holds this year's G7 Presidency, is scheduled to host a videoconference on Saturday between the leaders of the group of major economies and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with topics including new sanctions against Russia and a joint arms purchase for Ukraine. It seems like it will be. discussion.
“Now more than ever, we firmly support Ukraine: financially, economically, militarily and morally. Until the country is finally free,” von der Leyen said. I mentioned it in my post to X.
Prime Minister Trudeau said Ukrainians are fighting for “our collective future.”
“They are fighting to remind the world that democracy is mortally important and strong enough to win,” he said in a statement before arriving in Kiev.
“That's what's at stake as the war continues. That's why Canada has supported Ukraine from day one.”
The Western leaders' visit comes as Ukraine marks the second anniversary of its invasion of Moscow, which it has defended as Western aid and Russian territorial gains slump.
Kiev's fortunes have been hit in recent weeks by a lack of military supplies, and Russia captured the eastern town of Avdiivka this month, scoring its biggest battlefield victory in months.
US President Joe Biden has accused Congressional Republicans of withholding a $61 billion military funding package, saying its support is vital to Kiev's efforts to oust Moscow.
Biden announced further sanctions against Russia on Friday, pledging to continue pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin's “war machine.”
On Friday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba rebuked skeptics who doubted Kiev's ability to defeat Moscow, insisting that “Ukraine will win the war” and that victory would come “sooner or later” with international support.
“I am confident that victory awaits us,” Zelenskiy told diplomats in an emotional address earlier this week.
Neither Ukraine nor Russia has released official estimates of casualties from the war, but both claim heavy losses.
In August, the New York Times quoted U.S. officials estimating that about 70,000 Ukrainian troops were killed and another 100,000 to 120,000 wounded.
Leaked US intelligence in December suggested that about 315,000 Russian soldiers were killed or injured.
