Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky received a visit from the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen. He called not to forget the war in his country.
Ukraine fears being forgotten. While receiving the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, in Kiev on Saturday, November 4, Ukrainian President Voodymyr Zelensky declared that the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas “diverts attention” of the invasion of his country by Russia. Speaking to the international community, the Head of State wanted to reassure his Western partners. Here are three things to remember about the conflict in Ukraine for November 4.
Ursula Von der Leyen in kyiv to discuss the enlargement of the European Union
A year and a half after her first visit to Ukraine, the European made another trip to the country’s capital in order to discuss EU enlargement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “I am here to discuss Ukraine’s path to EU membership”as well as financial support from the EU “to rebuild Ukraine as a modern and prosperous democracy”she declared upon her arrival at the kyiv station.
The European Commission must submit its report on November 8 on the state of progress made by three candidate countries (Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia), before deciding on whether or not to open accession negotiations. A major summit will then bring together the Twenty-Seven around this issue in Brussels in mid-December.
Volodymyr Zelensky assures that the conflict is not at “an impasse”
While his major counter-offensive against the Russian army seems to be slipping, the Ukrainian president disputed on Saturday that the war between his country and Russia is in a “dead end”also denying any pressure from Western countries to begin negotiations with Russia.
“Time passes and people are tired (…) But we are not at an impasse”, he assured during a press conference in kyiv. Words intended to reassure Ukraine’s Western partners, including the United States, who are increasingly divided on the question of military aid to kyiv. Earlier this week, a senior Ukrainian army officer said the two camps were trapped in a war of attrition and positions.
Ukraine says it hit Crimean shipyard
kyiv claimed on Saturday that it had struck a shipyard in Russian-occupied Crimea in the port of Kerch the same day. “On the evening of November 4, the Ukrainian armed forces successfully carried out strikes against the maritime and port infrastructure of the Zaliv shipyard in the temporarily occupied city of Kerch”announced the General Staff of the Ukrainian army.
If Ukrainian forces are advancing painfully on the front line in the east and south of the country, their operations in the Black Sea are gaining in intensity and have enjoyed numerous successes in recent weeks. At the end of September, the Russian navy headquarters in the Black Sea was seriously damaged by a strike attributed to Ukraine.