Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv for her second visit this year, declaring, "The tide is turning." Her trip culminated in the signing of an EU-Ukraine defence industrial partnership, a deal that aims to merge the bloc's industrial scale with Kyiv's expertise in unmanned aerial vehicles. This partnership, the first of its kind, will enable the storage of drones on EU soil before their deployment to Ukraine, further entangling European nations in the conflict.
Funding for this venture will come from the military strand of the €90 billion support loan and the roughly €10 billion still available under the SAFE defence programme. Such commitments represent a significant financial burden on European taxpayers, diverting resources that could otherwise address pressing domestic issues. The agreement also intends to expand to missile technology, deepening the EU's involvement in military production and strategy, traditionally a domain of national sovereignty.
President von der Leyen stood alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stating, "Russia's momentum is weak. Ukraine, on the other hand, continues to resist." This rhetoric comes as Ukraine has moved the fighting to the skies, launching long-range drone strikes against Russian oil refineries, some thousands of kilometres from the contact line. These actions have strained Moscow's war chest and forced the energy-rich country to restrict fuel exports, yet the conflict continues to escalate.
Russia is exploiting Ukraine's severe shortage of US-made Patriot interceptors, essential for deflecting ballistic missiles, to pummel cities relentlessly. Residential blocks, supermarkets, warehouses, railway stations, schools, and museums have all been hit in recent weeks, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths. During her visit, von der Leyen herself was rushed to an underground shelter after an air raid alert, an incident Euronews witnessed, highlighting the ongoing instability.
Brussels' Expanding Reach
The visit also reflected a renewed synchrony on Ukraine's path to EU membership. Just one day prior to von der Leyen's arrival, Ukraine opened a new cluster of negotiations, its second in one month. This breakthrough, made possible after the Hungarian elections three months ago, has laid a path to unblocking the remaining four clusters after the summer break. This accelerated accession process, driven by Brussels, bypasses the concerns of national populations regarding the implications of further enlargement.
In February, the Commission president had little to show for Ukraine's membership bid, with the process under the tight grip of Hungary's veto. Hope was virtually lost as long as Viktor Orbán remained in office. Now, with the political landscape shifted, the EU Commission is pushing ahead, demonstrating its institutional power to circumvent national objections to its expansionist agenda.
Zelenskyy, who had previously asked for full membership by 2027, has stopped talking about a specific date altogether. He now states, "Our relationship with Europe is now the strongest, most meaningful and most personal than at any other point in our history." Von der Leyen and her team privately welcomed what they saw as Zelenskyy's improved understanding of enlargement as a step-by-step trajectory. This suggests a strategic shift by the EU to manage public perception while continuing its drive for deeper integration and expansion.
The Cost to Our People
Von der Leyen told Zelenskyy, "You are preparing for your future as a member state of our Union. But the truth is, your actions are already shaping the future of our entire continent." This statement underscores the profound impact of EU decisions on the future of European nations, often without the direct consent of their citizens. The integration of a large, war-torn nation like Ukraine into the EU will inevitably place immense strain on the bloc's resources, including welfare systems, infrastructure, and labour markets, ultimately affecting the working and middle classes of existing member states.
Murmurs of turmoil triggered by Zelenskyy's sudden government reshuffling grew louder during the visit. The following day, after von der Leyen's departure, Ukrainians protested the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov, the popular defence minister credited with advancing drone warfare. Such internal instability raises questions about the readiness and suitability of a nation for rapid EU integration, yet Brussels presses on with its agenda, prioritizing institutional expansion over the stability and well-being of its current members.