EU trade commissioner offers Ukraine 'unwavering support'

Valdis Dombrovskis, European Union trade commissioner, offered Ukraine the 27-nation bloc’s "unwavering support" on Friday (18 November). He also condemned Russia's "brutal warfare" against Kyiv during a visit.

During talks with President Volodymyr Zienskiy, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that he had discussed "next steps" in providing macro-financial support to Kyiv in 20223 as well as closer integration of Ukraine with the EU's inner market.

Dombrovskis (one of three executive vice-presidents from the EU's 27 commissioners) wrote on Twitter: "I reaffirmed [the] EU's solidarity with Ukraine as Russia continues its brutal war killing Ukrainian citizens and destroying their infrastructure."

He added: "I reiterated (the EU's) unwavering support to Ukraine."

Shmyhal confirmed that Kyiv would receive €2.5 billion from the EU Wednesday (23 November) and said that Ukraine was expecting to receive the first funds under the EU’s 18-billion-euro Macro-Financial Assistance Plus programme in January.

Both he and Zelenskiy thanked Dombrovskis during the war with Russia.

Since Russia invaded Russia on 24 February, the EU has placed several new sanctions against Moscow. This is in addition to providing financial assistance.

Since the outbreak of war, senior EU officials, including President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission, and many leaders from EU member countries have shown solidarity with Ukraine through visits to Kyiv.

Janez Lenarcic, EU crisis management commissioner, also said on Thursday (17 November) that the bloc would provide temporary cold weather shelter, generators, and electricity grid-repair kit for Ukraine in order to assist it during winter after Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure.

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