European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday, July 15, as Ukraine marked Statehood Day and the Day of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus’-Ukraine.Von der Leyen announced her visit on X, describing it as her 11th trip to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“Just arrived in Kyiv for my 11th visit to Ukraine in wartime. It’s a special moment. Ukraine has built a strong military momentum. The tide is turning,” she wrote.
Just arrived in Kyiv for my 11th visit to Ukraine in wartime.It’s a special moment. Ukraine has built a strong military momentum. The tide is turning.I will announce new initiatives to integrate our defence industries.So we can produce more, and faster.We will also… pic.twitter.com/WEKhIB2hLo— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 15, 2026
She said the visit would focus on launching new initiatives to integrate Ukraine’s and Europe’s defense industries to boost joint weapons production, as well as discussions on Ukraine’s EU accession and preparations for the coming winter. Romanian President Nicușor Dan, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also arrived in Kyiv. The full list of foreign leaders attending the Statehood Day events has not yet been disclosed. Ukraine officially opened Cluster 6, “External Relations,” in its EU accession negotiations on Tuesday, July 14, after Hungary lifted its veto. The development was confirmed by Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos. Kos said the cluster covers external relations, foreign policy, security and defense – areas where Ukraine is “especially strong.” She noted that Ukraine’s battlefield experience and defense innovation make it an important contributor to Europe’s future security architecture.
