Von der Leyen, other European leaders arrive in Kyiv on Ukraine Statehood Day

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other European leaders arrived in Kyiv on Ukraine's Statehood Day on July 15, underscoring the EU's ongoing support amid Russian aggression.

Von der Leyen's visit follows Kyiv's opening of another EU negotiation cluster and is expected to bring new defense agreements.

"Just arrived in Kyiv for my 11th visit to Ukraine in wartime," von der Leyen said on X upon her arrival.

"It's a special moment. Ukraine has built a strong military momentum. The tide is turning," she said, promising announcements on new initiatives to integrate the Ukrainian and European defense industries.

Other European leaders arriving in Ukraine's capital include Romanian President Nicusor Dan, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

These leaders are set to attend the fifth Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit, a regional forum aimed at fostering cooperation between Ukraine and southeastern and eastern European partners.

Polish news outlet TVP World reported on July 14 that the European Commission is preparing a combined support package for Ukraine worth up to 18 billion euros ($21 billion), with announcements on this expected during von der Leyen's visit.

The EU began disbursing the first payments this year under its 90-billion-euro ($103 billion) Ukraine Support Loan, including 3.9 billion euros ($4.4 billion) in defense support.

Kyiv has also been pushing for deeper integration with the European defense industry, including through co-development of the new Freya air defense project under the Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition.

"We will also discuss accession and preparations for this winter," von der Leyen added.

After months of obstruction by Hungary, Ukraine finally opened the first of the six negotiation clusters — the so-called "fundamentals" cluster, which focuses on democratic institutions and the rule of law — on June 15, followed by the foreign policy cluster on July 14.