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EU's Costa, von der Leyen to visit Kyiv on Feb. 24

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EU's Costa, von der Leyen to visit Kyiv on Feb. 24
Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, attended a European Council Meeting on Dec. 19, 2024, in Brussels, Belgium. (Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)

European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit Kyiv on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale war, Costa announced on Feb. 20.

Last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced plans to hold a summit for Ukraine's partners in Kyiv on Feb. 24 to discuss the next joint steps on peace and security.

The visit aims to reaffirm the EU's "support to the heroic Ukrainian people and to the democratically elected President Volodymyr Zelensky," Costa said on X.

The statement comes after U.S. President Donald Trump denounced Zelensky as a "dictator without elections," reiterating Kremlin talking points about the Ukrainian president's legitimacy.

Trump's comments cast doubt on his future commitment to Ukraine, sparking discussions in European capitals on how to step up support for Kyiv if Washington withdraws.

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Martin Fornusek

Assistant Editor

Martin Fornusek is an assistant editor at the Kyiv Independent. Until recently, Martin held the role of foreign affairs reporter specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, focusing on developments related to Ukraine and Russia. His career in journalism began in 2021 after graduating from Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, earning a Master's degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies. Martin has been invited to speak on Times Radio, France 24, Czech Television, and Radio Free Europe. He speaks English, Czech, and Ukrainian.

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