The European Union is expecting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to visit Brussels on Thursday, coinciding with a summit of EU-27 heads of state and government, in what would be the president’s first visit to Europe since the start of the war, just weeks before the first anniversary of the Russian aggression.
Although there is no official confirmation of the visit and the agenda of the EU leaders has not been communicated yet, different European sources consulted by Europa Press claim «security reasons» to avoid a direct answer and explain that they can neither «confirm nor deny» the information.
Thus, the leaders of the EU-27 are waiting for the Ukrainian president just a week after the Brussels top brass went to Kiev for a double day of meetings, first the meeting between fifteen commissioners and the Ukrainian government and then the EU-Ukraine summit, which brought together Zelenski with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell.
Asked that day about a future visit to Brussels, the Ukrainian president assured that an eventual trip was «inevitable» but explained that there is a «significant risk» in making trips abroad.
In this regard, he admitted having discussed this option with Michel. «I want to travel, I really want to do it but there are risks because Russia can prepare an offensive,» he exposed.
TRIP TO WASHINGTON IN DECEMBER The one to Brussels would be Zelenski’s second trip abroad since the beginning of the Russian invasion almost a year ago. The Ukrainian president granted the U.S. the gesture of a first visit, of which there was only official confirmation a few hours earlier for security reasons.
The visit to Washington on December 22 was surrounded by strict security measures and included, in addition to a formal meeting at the White House with U.S. President Joe Biden, a speech to Congress during an extraordinary session that brought together lawmakers from both houses.
Zelenski left Washington with explicit commitments of further assistance under his arm and, since then, the Ukrainian authorities had always left in the air the possibility of a second departure, this time to Brussels, following successive visits to Kiev by high-ranking European officials.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
