European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed Ukraine as “the beating heart of today’s European values” in a deeply symbolic visit to Kyiv on Europe Day (9 May) as Russia marked its World War Two Victory Day.

Von der Leyen’s trip underlined the European Union’s support for Ukraine as Russian President Vladimir Putin presided over a military parade on Moscow’s Red Square and portrayed his own country as under attack by the West as war rages in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he and von der Leyen had discussed defence matters, sanctions on Russia and Ukraine’s integration with Europe at talks in Kyiv.

“Our efforts for a united Europe, for security and peace, need to be as strong as Russia’s desire to destroy our security, our freedom, our Europe,” he told a joint news conference.

He also highlighted Russia’s military failures in Ukraine by saying Russian forces had not managed to achieve the goal of capturing the eastern city of Bakhmut before the May 9 holiday, when Russia celebrates the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany.

The battle for Bakhmut has been raging for months and the fighting has been intense. Moscow regards capturing it as a stepping stone towards taking other cities in Ukraine’s industrial east.

Von der Leyen’s trip fell on the day the EU celebrates as Europe Day, which Ukraine adopted as its own on Monday, underlining its ambition to join Western institutions after applying to join the EU last year following Russia’s invasion.

Von der Leyen, who arrived in Kyiv after a night of Russian air strikes, welcomed Zelenskyy’s decision on adopting Europe Day.

“Good to be back in Kyiv. Where the values we hold dear are defended everyday,” von der Leyen, who heads the EU executive, wrote on Twitter.

“Ukraine is on the front line of the defence of everything we Europeans cherish: our liberty, our democracy, our freedom of thought and speech. Courageously, Ukraine is fighting for the ideals of Europe that we celebrate today.”

New sanctions

Von der Leyen announced that the EU would impose an eleventh package of sanctions on Russia soon, which would focus on cracking down on sanctions circumvention, including by third countries.

Zelenskyy said he expected the new EU sanctions also to include the powerful Russian nuclear energy sector.

He said he expected an EU summit in June to yield a positive appraisal of Ukraine’s integration process.

“Our values, security, our wellbeing, security on the continent — all of this can be 100% realised for Europe only together with Ukraine,” he said.

Despite the gestures of solidarity, Zelenskyy criticised trade restrictions imposed by some of Ukraine’s neighbours, calling for “strong” European decisions to remove them.

“Any restrictions of our exports are currently absolutely unacceptable, because it strengthens not any of us in Europe but…the potential of the aggressor,” he said.

Last week the European Union set restrictions until 5 June on imports of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

Those countries have cited concerns that Ukrainian grain meant for export to other countries has ended up in their local markets.

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