European Leaders Visit Kyiv as Ukraine Marks Statehood Day

On Wednesday, European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, arrived in Kyiv as Ukraine marked Statehood Day and the Day of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus’-Ukraine.

Von der Leyen announced her visit on X, describing it as her 11th trip to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

“Just arrived in Kyiv for my 11th visit to Ukraine in wartime. It’s a special moment. Ukraine has built a strong military momentum. The tide is turning,” she wrote.

She said the visit would focus on launching new initiatives to integrate Ukraine’s and Europe’s defense industries to boost joint weapons production, as well as discussions on Ukraine’s EU accession and preparations for the coming winter.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also arrived in Kyiv.

However, the full list of foreign leaders attending the Statehood Day events has not been disclosed.

Ukraine officially opened Cluster 6, “External Relations,” in its EU accession negotiations on Tuesday, after Hungary lifted its veto. The development was confirmed by Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos.

Kos said the cluster covers external relations, foreign policy, security, and defense – areas where Ukraine is “especially strong.” She noted that Ukraine’s battlefield experience and defense innovation make it an important contributor to Europe’s future security architecture.

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The announcement came a day after President Volodymyr Zelensky unveiled the Freyja anti-ballistic missile project in Paris, a joint Ukrainian-European initiative aimed at developing an affordable air defense system within 12 months.

Sybiha highlighted that Chapter 31, covering foreign, security and defense policy, falls under the Foreign Ministry’s responsibility. He said Ukraine has already achieved 99% alignment of its foreign policy with the EU and expressed confidence that negotiations would advance quickly.

Cluster 6 includes Chapter 30 (External Relations) and Chapter 31 (Foreign, Security and Defense Policy). Ukraine must still complete several legislative and policy reforms before the cluster can be closed, while Kyiv continues to work toward its goal of completing accession negotiations by 2027 and joining the EU by 2030.