International

European Parliament president, German development minister arrive in Kyiv

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and German Development Minister Svenja Schulze arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit on May 9, The Kyiv Independent reports.

Metsola posted on X that she is "back to the land of the brave. In Kyiv on Europe Day."

Europe Day is celebrated on May 9 to highlight peace and unity in Europe, marking the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration in 1950.

The declaration laid the foundation for the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, the precursor to the European Union.

"The European Parliament is undoubtedly at the forefront of Ukraine's support," Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of Ukraine's Parliament, wrote on Telegram.

"It was the first institution in the EU that advocated granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for membership in the European Union."

"The European Parliament has always had a strong voice when it came to creating an international coalition in support of our fight for freedom and European values," something Ukraine will "always appreciate," Stefanchuk said.

Schulze said she was in Kyiv ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which will be held in Berlin in June.

Ukrainians are rebuilding every day, and therefore it is important "not only to provide support with weapons, but also support for civil reconstruction," Schulze told reporters in Kyiv.

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