KYIV, Ukraine, Feb. 24 (ANI) — Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday paid tribute to Ukraine’s fallen soldiers during a visit to Maidan Square, a memorial honoring those killed in the conflict, acknowledging the ongoing sacrifice of troops serving on the front lines against Russian aggression.
The show of solidarity formed part of a wider diplomatic presence in Kyiv marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In a post on X, von der Leyen described her visit to the memorial site, stating, “We paid tribute to the fallen heroes of Ukraine at Maidan.”
Beyond honoring those who have lost their lives, she expressed support for active military personnel currently engaged in combat operations.
“I am also thinking of their comrades, bravely holding the line in the trenches,” she said.
The European Commission president highlighted the broader objectives driving Ukraine’s resistance, describing the troops as “fighting for peace” and “fighting for a better future for their children.”
Sharing her vision of Ukraine’s place within the international community, von der Leyen emphasized that the nation is “fighting for a free and sovereign Ukraine, at the heart of a free Europe.”
On the occasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin had failed to achieve his “war goals,” as several European leaders arrived in the capital to demonstrate continued support.
António Costa joined von der Leyen during the visit. Their arrival was noted by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who expressed gratitude to allies for standing with the country throughout four years of what he described as Russia’s “brutal full-scale war.”
The delegation also included Nordic and Baltic leaders, such as Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
The diplomatic surge comes in the wake of peace talks held in Geneva earlier this month, representing the latest effort to halt the deadliest European conflict since World War II.
Highlighting the economic toll, the World Bank increased its reconstruction cost estimate for Ukraine to $588 billion as of the end of last year, up from an earlier projection of $524 billion.
On the military front, Zelenskyy revealed the scale of recent hostilities, stating that Russia deployed approximately 6,000 drones, 150 missiles, and at least 5,000 glide bombs in the past month alone.
Speaking previously at the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy detailed the human cost, claiming that a single month of combat resulted in 30,000 to 35,000 killed or severely wounded Russian soldiers.
He further estimated that this equates to 156 killed soldiers for every occupied kilometer in the contested Donetsk region.
French President Emmanuel Macron characterized the invasion as a “triple failure for Russia” on military, economic, and strategic levels.
Writing on X, Macron suggested that a time would come when Russian citizens “realize the enormity of the crime committed in their name” and the “devastating long-term effects” on their own nation.
Providing a counter-perspective from Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova argued that durable peace is only possible by addressing the “root causes of the conflict.”
In comments carried by Russian media, she said the “special military operation” had exposed Western intentions to impose a “rules-based order” aimed at maintaining hegemony, efforts she claimed were blocked by Russia’s security interests.
Meanwhile, local officials reported fresh infrastructure damage in Zaporizhzhia following a series of overnight Russian strikes. (ANI)
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