The new head of European diplomacy Kaya Kalas and the new president of the European Council Antonio Costa arrived in Kyiv today for a symbolic visit in support of Ukraine on their first day in office.

This visit takes place at a time when the tension between them Moscow and her West is particularly heightened following Ukraine’s use of US- and British-made missiles to strike deep into Russian territory and Russia’s launch of a new hypersonic missile against a Ukrainian city.

The news European Commission wants to show its strong support for Ukraine as Ukrainian forces retreat at the front and the world prepares for Donald Trump’s new term in the US presidency, which raises concern about a possible cut in US aid to Kiev.

“We came to send a clear message: we are on Ukraine’s side and we continue to offer it our support,” Costa told reporters accompanying him.

“Since the first day of the war the EU has stood by Ukraine,” Costa posted on X alongside a photo of himself, Kala and the European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos to arrive by train in Kyiv.

“From the first day of taking office we reiterate our unwavering support to the Ukrainian people,” he added.

“On my first day in office, my message is clear: the EU wants Ukraine to win this war,” Kalas told X. “We will do whatever it takes to do that.”

In addition to the difficulties it faces on the front, Ukraine has been the target of heavy aerial bombardment in recent weeks against its energy infrastructure, which has caused widespread power outages as winter approaches.

“The situation in Ukraine is very serious, but it is clear that it has a high cost for Russia as well,” said Kalas, a former prime minister of Estonia and a well-known advocate of keeping a hard line against Moscow.

Kalas and Costa, who hold the two most important positions in the EU after European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, are expected to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky, who for more than two years has steadfastly refused to negotiate with Russia, has appeared to soften his stance recently.

On Friday, he asked NATO to offer its protection to Kiev-held areas of Ukraine in order to “end the hot phase of the war” and hinted that Kiev would not immediately seek to retake areas seized by Russia. .

“If we are talking about a truce, (we need) guarantees that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will not come back,” Zelensky stressed, speaking to the British television network Sky News.

For his part, Putin is asking Ukraine to hand over four provinces in the country’s south and east that Russian troops partially control in addition to Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014. He also opposes Ukraine’s accession to NATO.

For her part, Kalas underlined that “the strongest security guarantee is (Ukraine’s) membership in NATO”.

“If Ukraine decides to draw a line somewhere, how can we guarantee peace so that Putin doesn’t go any further?” he asked.

Diplomats in NATO estimate that there is little chance that the Alliance will offer Ukraine member state status in the near future, given the opposition of a large number of countries that are concerned that in this way they will be dragged into direct war with Russia.

According to Kalas, the EU should “rule nothing out” when it comes to sending European troops to Ukrainian soil to guarantee respect for any truce that is agreed, another move that could lead to direct conflict with Russia .

“We have to maintain strategic ambiguity on the issue,” stressed Kalas.

Since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022 Europe has spent a total of around 125 billion. dollars to support Ukraine, while the US more than 90 billion. dollars, according to a report by the Kiel Institute.

But the future of US support is in doubt as Trump has criticized it and hinted that he wants an end to the conflict as soon as possible.

Kalas assured that the EU will try to convince the Republican that supporting Kiev is to the benefit of the US.

“Aid to Ukraine is not charity. A Russian victory will undoubtedly harden China, Iran and North Korea,” he estimated.

According to her, the EU will continue to seek to put Kiev in a “strong” position in case of negotiations with Russia. However, he admitted that it is becoming “increasingly difficult” for the 27 member countries to agree on new instruments to strengthen their support for Ukraine.

“This war has been going on for some time and it is becoming more and more difficult to explain it to our fellow citizens,” he pointed out, before adding: “but I see no other solution.”

EM