Published: 15:51, April 9, 2022 | Updated: 15:51, April 9, 2022
Von der Leyen supports speedier Ukraine membership process
By Xinhua

A handout photo released by Ukrainian Presidential Press Service shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (right) shaking hands with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (center) next to European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell during their meeting in Kyiv on April 8, 2022. (STRINGER / UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE / AFP)

BRUSSELS - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell visited Ukraine on Friday, promising a speedier process for the country to join the EU.

"Ukraine takes another important step towards EU membership," von der Leyen said on Twitter. She said the EU will accelerate this process "as much as we can, while ensuring that all conditions are respected."

The EU has allocated 1 billion euros to support the Ukrainian armed forces with weapons, and a proposal to provide another 500 million euros was under discussion


The EU's executive chief said the bloc had allocated 1 billion euros ($1.09 billion) to support the Ukrainian armed forces with weapons, and a proposal to provide another 500 million euros ($544 million) was under discussion.

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Von der Leyen and Borrell pledged the EU's support for the country during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

In an earlier tweet, von der Leyen condemned the missile attack on a train station used for evacuations of civilians in the city of Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine on Friday morning, describing it as despicable.

The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday said it did not launch any "rocket attack" on the railway station.  

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