European leaders gathered in Kyiv on Monday as Ukraine marked 35 years of independence and its fifth Independence Day since Russia’s full-scale invasion — a milestone few expected when Russian forces advanced on the capital in February 2022.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, on his first overseas trip since taking office, joined European Council President António Costa and other senior European officials in Kyiv for celebrations and talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The leaders are also meeting as part of the Coalition of the Willing, with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz joining remotely.
Kyiv is pressing its allies for more air-defence missiles ahead of winter.
The European Union announced on Monday it would provide a fresh package of €6.1 billion in military assistance.
