The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, held phone conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump following yet another large-scale attack by the Russian Federation on Ukraine. Both von der Leyen and the head of the Ukrainian state reported on these discussions on August 28.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Casualties from the Strike and EU Reaction
Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that during the Russian attack, the office of the European Union’s representation in Kyiv was damaged, which further confirmed the threat to diplomatic missions and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. She once again condemned the actions of the Kremlin and stressed the need to strengthen security guarantees for Ukraine.
“Putin must come to the negotiating table. We must ensure a just and lasting peace for Ukraine with firm and reliable security guarantees that will turn the country into a steel porcupine,” she emphasized.
The head of the European Commission added that the European Union remains committed to its role in supporting Ukraine. She mentioned the SAFE defense mechanism, which, according to her, will be crucial for further strengthening the Ukrainian armed forces.
Sanctions, Eurointegration, and Coordination of Actions
Volodymyr Zelensky also commented on his conversation with von der Leyen, expressing gratitude for the sympathy and solidarity shown after the shelling of Ukraine. The President of Ukraine reported that the parties discussed diplomatic steps aimed at ending Russian aggression. According to him, special attention was paid to increasing pressure on Russia, including the preparation of the 19th EU sanctions package and coordination of actions with international partners.
Separately, Zelensky noted that the conversation also addressed Ukraine’s European integration and the opening of a negotiation cluster for Ukraine and Moldova regarding EU membership. The President expressed hope for positive decisions in this direction in the near future.
Donald Trump has not yet publicly commented on his conversation with Ursula von der Leyen.
Earlier, the head of the European Commission had already expressed outrage over the Russian missile strike on Kyiv, which resulted in damage to the EU representation office. She promised to increase pressure on Russia, including a new sanctions package, as well as to intensify efforts regarding frozen Russian assets for their use in the defense and reconstruction of Ukraine.