World leaders visit Kiev to show support on 3rd year of Russia-Ukraine war

A dozen leaders from Europe and Canada were in Ukraine's capital on Monday to mark the third anniversary of the Ukraine-Russia war.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were among the visitors set to discuss supporting Ukraine with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid a recent US policy shift under President Donald Trump.

“In this fight for survival, it is not only the destiny of Ukraine that is at stake. It’s Europe’s destiny,” Von der Leyen said in a post on X.

European Council President Antonio Costa, as well as the prime ministers of Northern European countries and Spain, were also set to attend anniversary events.

Opposing the US stance, the European Union reaffirmed continued support for Kiev in its fight against Moscow.

EU payment package for Ukraine

Ursula von der Leyen announced Ukraine will receive a new payment of 3.5 billion euros ($3.68 billion) from the European Union in March.

She also said Ukraine would benefit from EU plans to scale up European arms production and defence capabilities.

European Union foreign ministers have also given the greenlight to new sanctions against Russia which are entering force on the third anniversary of its full-scale offensive in Ukraine.

Among the latest sanctions endorsed on Monday are measures targeting Russia’s so-called “ shadow fleet ” of ships that it exploits to skirt restrictions on transporting oil and gas, or to carry stolen Ukrainian grain.

The EU said 74 vessels were added to its list.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the new measures also target “those who support the operation of unsafe oil tankers, videogame controllers used to pilot drones, banks used to circumvent our sanctions, and propaganda outlets used to spout lies.”

European Union's support

Germany's Conservative leader Friedrich Merz, whose CDU-CSU alliance won Sunday's general election, said Ukraine "must be part of peace negotiations."

Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron is set to visit Washington to meet with Trump on Monday and present "proposals for action" to counter the "Russian threat" in Europe and ensure peace in Ukraine.

The US leader has sought to follow through on his campaign promises to end the war quickly, though his methods have alarmed many in Ukraine and Europe, who believe his approach is too conciliatory toward Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin.

'Long-term peace, not a quick ceasefire'

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Moscow wants a long-term peace deal over Ukraine that addresses what it regards as the root causes of the conflict, rather than a quick, US-backed ceasefire followed by a swift restart of fighting.

In an interview released on Monday, the senior Russian diplomat stated that Moscow is seeking a Ukraine deal that stands the test of time.

"A ceasefire without a long-term settlement is the path to a swift resumption of fighting and a resumption of the conflict with even more serious consequences, including consequences for Russian-American relations. We do not want this," RIA cited Ryabkov as saying.

UN expected to vote on dueling Russia-Ukraine resolutions

The UN General Assembly is expected to vote Monday on dueling resolutions — Ukraine’s European-backed proposal demanding an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from the country and a US call for a swift end to the war.

The United States pressured the Ukrainians to withdraw their non-binding resolution in favour of its proposal, a US official and a European diplomat said on Sunday.

But Ukraine refused, and it will be put to a vote in the 193-nation assembly, two European diplomats said. All spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were private.

It’s a reflection of the tensions that have emerged between the US. and Ukraine after President Donald Trump suddenly opened negotiations with Russia in a bid to quickly resolve the conflict.

It also underscores the strain in the transatlantic alliance with Europe over the Trump administration’s extraordinary turnaround on engagement with Moscow.

European leaders were dismayed that they and Ukraine were left out of preliminary talks last week.