The EU’s new top foreign policy officials visit Ukraine in a show of solidarity

KYIV (Reuters) – European Council President Antonio Costa and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas arrived in the Ukrainian capital Kiev on Sunday, using their first day in their new roles to send a message of support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. .

“Since the first day of the war, the EU has stood by Ukraine,” Costa posted on X, alongside a picture of himself, Kallas and EU enlargement chief Marta Kos arriving by train.

“From the first day of our mandate, we reaffirm our unwavering support for the Ukrainian people.”

Both Kallas and Costa have been strong supporters of Ukraine since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, and their visit comes as Kiev struggles to avoid a botched Russian offensive and the uncertainty of US policy toward it when Donald Trump takes office next month.

The EU says its institutions and member countries have provided about $133 billion in aid to Ukraine since the start of the war.

“On my first visit since taking office, my message is clear: the European Union wants Ukraine to win this war,” Kallas wrote to X. “We will do everything necessary for that.”

(Reporting by Dan Peleschuk; Additional reporting by Andrew Gray in Brussels; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Frances Kerry)