Sanchez in Kyiv to kick off Spain's EU presidency

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he arrived in Kyiv early Saturday to meet with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky as Spain kicked off its presidency of the European Union.

"In Kyiv already. I wanted the first act of the Spanish presidency of the council of the European Union to be in Ukraine" with its president, Sanchez wrote on his official Twitter account, saying he would convey "all of Europe's solidarity".

"We will keep supporting the Ukrainian people until peace returns to Europe," added Sanchez, who announced the visit during an EU summit on Thursday, saying the aim was to demonstrate the EU's "unfaltering support" for Kyiv as it battles the Russian invasion.

Ukraine received EU candidacy status a year ago and is hoping to begin formal negotiations this year on what it needs to do to firm up its membership bid.



AFP