EU Trade Commissioner In Kyiv To Talk Support For Ukraine

The trade commissioner of the European Union, Valdis Dombrovskis (file photo)

The trade commissioner of the European Union, Valdis Dombrovskis, visited Kyiv on November 18 for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on the 27-member bloc's support for Ukraine.

"Arrived in Kyiv to discuss EU’s support to #Ukraine, focus on emergency financial support and our plans for 2023," Dombrovskis, one of three executive vice presidents among the EU's 27 commissioners, wrote on Twitter.

"I'll also discuss with @ZelenskyyUa and @Denys_Shmyhal concrete steps for closer economic integration between EU and Ukraine."

The EU has backed Ukraine since Russia's February 24 invasion by slapping several rounds of punitive measures on Moscow and providing Kyiv with financial assistance.

Senior EU officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and a number of leaders of EU member states have also shown solidarity with Ukraine by visiting Kyiv since the start of the war.

On October 18, Ukraine received 2 billion euros ($1.97 billion) in financial assistance from the European Union -- the first tranche of a 5 billion euro ($4.91 billion) EU package following Russia's unprovoked invasion.