European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has received the first-ever Order of Europe from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a ceremony in Kyiv
Von der Leyen said she was in the city on the Day of Ukrainian Statehood and accepted the award in St Michael’s Square, according to a statement published by the European Commission on Wednesday.
She said it was her 11th visit to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, and recalled previous trips including a visit to Bucha and to Antonov Airport in Hostomel.
Von der Leyen also referred to the Hryhorii Skovoroda Museum in the Kharkiv region, saying it was hit by a Russian missile in May 2022 and that a statue of the Ukrainian philosopher survived the strike.
EU-Ukraine defence industry partnership announced
Von der Leyen stated that she and Zelenskyy were launching a new EU-Ukraine Defence Industrial Partnership, and described what was being signed as a “Drone Deal.”
She added the agreement would bring together Ukraine’s experience with drones and anti-drone systems and Europe’s industrial capacity, including production sites.
Ukraine has signed similar drone deals with “several countries, from Europe to the Middle East”, she declared.
In her speech, von der Leyen also highlighted the display of the European flag alongside Ukraine’s flag in St Michael’s Square and listed values she associated with the EU flag, including peace, prosperity, liberty, democracy and solidarity.
