European commissioner to visit Ukraine
European Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and EU Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi will visit Ukraine today.
His visit comes as Russian military presence on the Ukrainian border increases. The EU and individual members have publicly spoken out against the increase in Russian troops of up to 100,000 since the beginning of 2021.The EU has also pledged to support Ukraine if conflict breaks out, specifically a financial aid package of $1.36 Billion. The EU offering its public support for Ukraine has not quelled Russian fears of Ukraine leaning westward.
Concerns that conflict might break out have become so great that the US and UK have withdrawn diplomatic personnel from Ukraine. There is hope among EU officials that this can be resolved diplomatically. As such, today’s meeting is likely to take place. Also occurring today, in response to growing tensions over the past week, is a meeting between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Paris in an effort to de-escalate tensions between the two. It will take more than just these meetings to lessen tensions or for Russian troops to be withdrawn. While drawdown would be preferable, it seems unlikely to occur on a large scale with no solutions resulting from past diplomatic conversations.
Wake up smarter with an assessment of the stories that will make headlines in the next 24 hours. Download The Daily Brief.
