Foreign leaders arrive in Ukraine in show of support on war’s third anniversary

European leaders, including EU Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen, arrived in Kyiv on Monday, to show their support on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

They and several world leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Spanish Prime Minister President Pedro Sánchez, were greeted at the Ukranian capital’s train station by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and the president’s chief of staff, Andrii Yermak.

In a post on X, von der Leyen wrote that Europe was in Kyiv “because Ukraine is in Europe.”

“In this fight for survival, it is not only the destiny of Ukraine that is at stake. It’s Europe’s destiny,” she added.

The leaders of the 27 European Union countries will have an emergency summit on March 6 about the next steps for Ukraine and Europe’s security. European Council President Antonio Costa announced Sunday that he will convene the summit in Brussels.

Since the EU leaders last met on 3 February, the Trump administration has upended years of US support for Ukraine and decades of commitment to defending European allies.

In a series of unwelcome developments for Kyiv, Trump has called Zelenskyy a dictator and suggested Ukraine is to blame for starting the war, while also ending Putin’s three-year diplomatic isolation by the United States.

US officials, such as US Secretary of State Pete Hegseth, have indicated to Ukraine that hopes of it joining NATO and any return to its pre-2014 borders would be unrealistic.