EU Officials in Kyiv

Ukraine – While bringing the promise of further sanctions against Russia to Kyiv for negotiations with the Ukrainian government, European Union leaders have dashed Ukraine’s aspirations for an immediate accession to the EU.

Ursula von der Leyen, the leader of the group’s executive committee, traveled by train to Kyiv on Thursday in a show of support for Ukraine as the one anniversary of Russia’s invasion on February 24 approaches. Senior EU officials met with their counterparts in the Ukrainian government, and on Friday, von der Leyen and Charles Michel, chairman of the 27 EU national leaders, will hold meetings with Volodomyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy has pleaded with the EU to take more sanctions against Russia, but the 10th round of sanctions the group is preparing for the anniversary are likely to fall short of the Kyiv government’s demands.