"As we're approaching the 1000th day of Russia's atrocious war, we will help keep the Ukrainian state running while the country fights for survival. We are in it for the long haul," Ursula Von der Leyen said.
The Ukrainian government doesn't plan to stop supporting the telethon, Ukraine's state-run pool of TV channels created during wartime, before the end of the martial law, Interfax Ukraine reported on Oct. 31, citing Culture Minister Mykola Tochytskyi.
The European Commission has recently praised Ukraine’s progress on critical reforms, including those related to the rule of law, judicial system, and anti-corruption measures, though it emphasizes that further reforms are still required.
The European Commission singled out the recent legislative amendments to the election process, frequent compromises on vote secrecy, procedural inconsistencies, intimidation, and pressure on voters that negatively impacted public trust in the process.
Brussels expects Ukraine to restore the work of all broadcasters in the pre-war format, questioning the telethon's objectivity.
Moldova's referendum on joining the EU, which took place alongside elections in the country, occurred under "unprecedented interference" by Russia and its proxies, European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano said.
"Relentless Russian attacks means Ukraine needs continued EU support," the chief of the EU's executive arm said during her visit to Kyiv.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv on Sept. 20 to discuss Ukraine's energy needs ahead of the coming winter.
For the first time in history, the European Commission will include the position of defense commissioner. Former Lithuanian Prime Minister and Member of the European Parliament Andrius Kubilius will take up the new post overseeing the EU's defense policy.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Aug. 30 criticized certain EU politicians for "muddying the waters" and shifting the blame for Russia's war on Ukraine, drawing historical comparisons to Soviet aggression in Central Europe.
In June, Kyiv imposed sanctions blocking Lukoil, one of the largest oil companies in Russia, from transiting crude oil through the Druzhba pipeline running through Ukrainian territory.
"The EU continues to fully support Ukraine's legitimate right to defense against Russian aggression and its efforts to restore sovereignty and territorial integrity," European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano said.
The European Commision's spokesperson, Peter Stano, reiterated the EU's concerns over the law, calling it "a step backward" on the country's path to European integration.
"There is no better symbol or use for the Kremlin's money than to make Ukraine and all of Europe a safer place to live," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The European Commission warned Slovakia that it would take immediate legal action if the country adopted a controversial law restricting the activities of non-governmental organizations, Reuters reported on July 24.
The European Commission is assessing a draft law that proposes controversial changes to Ukraine's criminal code, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna told Interfax Ukraine on July 19.
First elected in 2019, von der Leyen led the EU's executive time during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, positioning herself as a staunch supporter of Kyiv.
"In light of recent developments marking the start of the Hungarian Presidency, the President (Ursula von der Leyen) has decided that the European Commission will be represented at senior civil servant level only during informal meetings of the Council," said von der Leyen's spokesperson Eric Mamer.
Through an agreement with the European Commission, Ukraine has received 5,876 solar panels to help power hospitals across the country, Ukraine's Energy Ministry announced on social media on July 2.
Ursula von der Leyen has secured the nomination for a second term as President of the European Commission following an agreement between EU leaders at a Brussels summit on June 27.
EU leaders have reportedly nominated European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for a second term, Politico reported on June 25, citing five EU officials.
Ukraine will receive the first payment of 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) from the profits of Russian assets frozen in the EU "before the summer break," EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said on June 21.
Hungary is preventing consensus among EU members on the start of Ukraine's accession talks, Interfax Ukraine reported on June 7, citing undisclosed diplomatic sources.
"Now we expect our European partners to take the next step – to start the membership negotiations already this month," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal wrote on Telegram.
The European Commission will recommend the EU start accession talks with Ukraine before July, when Hungary will assume the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, the Financial Times (FT) reported on June 7.
Starting on June 6, citizens of the European Union will head to the voting booths to elect the bloc's 720-member European Parliament. The election, held between June 6 and June 9 and often downplayed as irrelevant by voters, will have a major impact on EU domestic and foreign policy, among
Sources told Politico that there is "no appetite" in the EU for allowing Oliver Varhelyi, a Hungarian diplomat and the European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, to keep his position in the forthcoming composition of the commission.
The European Commission said that the "resources will be available to support Ukraine starting from July 2024, with bi-annual payments."
President Volodymyr Zelensky's five-year term expired on May 20, but elections have been suspended due to martial law, so he will stay on as president
The EU's executive arm launched the sanctions procedure, which can lead to the suspension of certain rights, in 2017 against the Polish government at the time led by the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party.
The European Union has started work on establishing the new Defense Innovation office in Kyiv, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said on May 6 at the EU-Ukraine Defense Industries Forum.
The EU should be able to offer a negotiating framework to begin the process of Ukraine’s ascension to the European Union in June, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna said during a press briefing on April 16, as reported by the Hromadske news outlet.
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