Sanaa: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday for talks on defense cooperation, Ukraine's bid to join the European Union, and preparations for the coming winter.

According to Anadolu Agency, von der Leyen expressed the significance of the visit by stating, "It's a special moment. Ukraine has built a strong military momentum. The tide is turning," in a post on the US social media platform X after reaching the Ukrainian capital. She is expected to announce new initiatives aimed at integrating the Ukrainian and European defense industries and discuss Ukraine's EU accession process along with winter preparedness plans.

This marks von der Leyen's 11th visit to Ukraine since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022. Her visit coincides with Ukraine's Statehood Day and the fifth Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit in Kyiv. The summit is attended by other foreign leaders, including the presidents of Albania, Moldova, Romania, and Serbia, as well as the prime ministers of Croatia and Slovenia, among others, as reported by Ukrainian media.

Following her arrival, von der Leyen was honored by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with the Order of Europe. A presidential decree published by Ukraine's Presidential Office stated that the award was given for her "outstanding personal merits in supporting Ukraine's strategic course towards gaining full membership in the EU, a significant contribution to assisting Ukraine to strengthen its resilience in protecting its independence and the security of all of Europe, strengthening international cooperation in the interests of democracy, peace and good neighborliness, and friendly and comprehensive relations between peoples."