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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday paid tribute to Ukraine's fallen soldiers during a visit to Maidan Square, a memorial for fallen soldiers in Kyiv, acknowledging the ongoing sacrifice of those serving on the front lines against Russian aggression. .
This show of solidarity forms part of a wider diplomatic presence in Kyiv marking the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In a post on X, von der Leyen described her visit to the memorial site, stating, "We paid tribute to the fallen heroes of Ukraine at Maidan." https://x.com/vonderleyen/status/2026228161197863001?s=20 Beyond honouring those who have lost their lives, she expressed support for active military personnel currently engaged in combat operations. "I am also thinking of their comrades, bravely holding the line in the trenches," she noted. The European Commission President highlighted the broader objectives driving Ukraine's resistance, describing the troops as "fighting for peace" and "fighting for a better future for their children." Sharing her vision of Ukraine's place within the international community, von der Leyen emphasised that the nation is "fighting for a free and sovereign Ukraine, at the heart of a free Europe." On the occasion, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserted that Vladimir Putin has failed to achieve his "war goals," as several European leaders arrived in the capital to demonstrate continued support. European Council President Antonio Costa joined von der Leyen during the visit. Their arrival was noted by Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who expressed gratitude to allies for standing with the country throughout four years of "Russia's brutal full-scale war." The delegation also included Nordic and Baltic leaders, such as Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Finland's President Alexander Stubb. The diplomatic surge comes in the wake of peace talks held in Geneva earlier this month, representing the latest effort to halt the deadliest European conflict since World War II. Highlighting the economic toll, Al Jazeera reported that the World Bank has increased its reconstruction cost estimate for Ukraine to "$588bn" as of the end of last year, up from an earlier projection of "$524bn." On the military front, President Zelenskyy revealed the scale of recent hostilities, stating that Russia deployed approximately 6,000 drones, 150 missiles, and at least 5,000 glide bombs in the past month alone. Speaking previously at the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy detailed the human cost, claiming that a single month of combat resulted in "30,000 to 35,000 killed or severely wounded soldiers for Russia." He further estimated that this equates to "156 killed soldiers for every occupied kilometre" in the contested Donetsk region. French President Emmanuel Macron characterised the invasion as a "triple failure for Russia" on military, economic, and strategic levels. Writing on X, Macron suggested that a time would come when Russian citizens "realise the enormity of the crime committed in their name" and the "devastating long-term effects" on their own nation. Providing a counter-perspective from Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova argued that durable peace is only possible by addressing the "root causes of the conflict." In comments carried by Russian media, she claimed that the "special military operation" had exposed Western intentions to impose a "rules-based order" aimed at maintaining hegemony, efforts she said were blocked by Russia's security interests. Meanwhile, local officials reported fresh infrastructure damage in Zaporizhzhia following a series of overnight Russian strikes. (ANI)
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