Western Solidarity with Kyiv; EU Aid Will Continue Until Ukraine's 'Final Freedom'

On Saturday, March 5, marking the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the President of the European Commission and the Prime Ministers of Italy, Canada, and Belgium arrived in Kyiv to show solidarity with the country. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, emphasized in her remarks that EU aid to Ukraine will continue until the country's 'final freedom.' She wrote on her account on the messaging platform 'X': 'Now more than ever, we stand firmly with Ukraine; financially, economically, militarily, and morally. Until this country is free.' According to Reuters, the European Commission President and the Prime Ministers of Italy, Canada, and Belgium visited the 'Hostomel' airport, which was the site of fierce battles in the early days of the Russian invasion, where Russian paratroopers attempted unsuccessfully to land to facilitate a quick capture of Kyiv. Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy, stated that thanks to the men and women who stayed and fought instead of fleeing on March 5 two years ago, this location has become a symbol of Russia's defeat and Ukraine's pride. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed these four Western leaders and, in a televised speech, referred to what he called the 'fiery resistance of his country's soldiers against the Russian occupiers,' stating that while every ordinary person desires an end to the war, 'none of us will allow our Ukraine to come to an end.' Meanwhile, as the four Western leaders visited Kyiv, clashes between Ukrainian and Russian forces continued on Saturday. Russian drones targeted the port of Odesa on the Black Sea for the second consecutive night, resulting in one Ukrainian death. Additionally, in Dnipro, Russian drones attacked a building, and rescuers have so far found the bodies of two individuals. In contrast, a Ukrainian source reported that Ukrainian drones caused a fire at a steel factory in Russia. A Russian official stated that this fire occurred in Lipetsk, 400 kilometers from Ukraine, and that factory produces 18% of Russia's total steel. According to Reuters, the Prime Ministers of Italy and Canada are expected to sign security agreements with Ukraine during their brief visit. France and Germany have also recently signed security agreements worth billions of dollars with Ukraine. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine arrives amid the blockage of President Joe Biden's proposed $61 billion aid package to Ukraine by Republican lawmakers, casting a shadow over Ukrainians' hopes of pushing back the much larger and better-equipped Russian army. According to Reuters, the U.S. President is scheduled to participate in a conference with other G7 leaders on Saturday, and the President of Ukraine has also been invited to this meeting. Western countries consider Russia's invasion of Ukraine an aggressive and unjustified act and, while imposing extensive sanctions against Russia, demand the unconditional withdrawal of Putin's forces from Ukrainian territory. Mr. Zelensky has repeatedly warned that if Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, succeeds in Ukraine, he will also invade other European countries. Vladimir Putin has denied this. The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations stated that Russia has created a global crisis in all areas by attacking Ukraine. The U.S. has sanctioned the largest shipping company and owner of Russian state oil tankers. The U.S. discussed military cooperation between Russia and North Korea with China. Joe Biden announced the imposition of 500 new sanctions against Russia. Britain targeted Russian revenue sources with a new sanctions package. Putin flew with a nuclear bomber, taunting the West amid tensions.