The European Union has applauded on Wednesday the visit of the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, to the United States to meet with its president, Joe Biden, downplaying the fact that the first international trip since the beginning of the war is not to Europe, recalling that the main European leaders have traveled to Kiev in recent months to show their support in the face of Russian military aggression.
«We welcome President Zelenski’s trip to Washington to discuss further U.S. support for Ukraine as a clear signal of strong international backing for Ukraine in its resistance to Russian aggression,» the bloc’s foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano told Europa Press, stressing that Brussels and Washington have gone hand in hand in leading international efforts to support Ukraine. «The EU will continue to provide Ukraine with unprecedented support for as long as necessary,» he said.
Wednesday’s express trip is the first occasion on which the Ukrainian leader has left the country since the outbreak of the war back in the last days of February. On the fact that the first departure is to Washington and not to the EU capital or a European country, the spokesman has removed iron, saying that Zelenski does not need to travel to the Member States «because the EU goes to him regularly and repeatedly.
«Almost all presidents, prime ministers and many ministers of EU member states, as well as representatives of European institutions have frequently been to Ukraine and the EU is present in Ukraine every day,» he said.
Stano recalled the «continuous support» provided by the EU to Ukraine on the humanitarian, energy, financial and military fronts, as well as the fact that the EU-27 have taken in millions of Ukrainians fleeing the war in their country.
Likewise, the bloc took the step last June to recognize Ukraine as a candidate for membership. «As an EU candidate country, there is no question of our close and intensive cooperation. Ukraine can count on the strong support of the EU for as long as necessary,» the European spokesman summed up.
For his part, Biden has acknowledged being «delighted» with the visit of his Ukrainian counterpart, with whom he has warned that he has «a lot to discuss» in the framework of their face-to-face meeting at the White House.
Within the framework of the trip, Washington announced a new military aid package to Ukraine valued at 1.85 billion dollars, including the first shipment of Patriot anti-aircraft defense systems.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
