PE805 "2 years WAR UKRAINE, MELONI, DE CROO, VON DER LEYEN, TRUDEAU, Kyiv 2024"

February 24, 2024: Four European and Canadian leaders travel to Ukraine to demonstrate European solidarity, two years to the day after the large-scale invasion by the Russian army.

Ukraine celebrated the second anniversary of the large-scale invasion of Russia this Saturday, in the presence of foreign officials, including Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Italian PM Giorgia Melonio and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. Among these visitors, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission. The leaders had come to Kyiv as a sign of solidarity, as Ukrainian forces are short of ammunition and weapons and Western aid is at stake.

Uncertainty also remains while in the US Congress, Republicans are still blocking $60 billion in military aid that Ukraine desperately needs in the short term. The EU, for its part, recently approved an aid program of 50 billion euros, despite resistance from Hungary, intended to support the Ukrainian economy.

3 postage stamps “Offensive Guard” and postcards in tribute to the Ukrainian Defense Forces

Ukrpostha had issued on May 9, 2023, a block "Glory to the defense and security forces of Ukraine! Offensive Guard" including the three postage stamps representing soldiers of the National Guard of Ukraine, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and the National Police of Ukraine. In February 2023, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine began training volunteer assault brigades called "Offensive Guard" within the National Guard, National Police and State Border Guard Service, which will notably liberate the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

A series of 3 UKRAINE - FRANCE philatelic postcards, designed by the Ukrainian Post and Historiaphil© (Philately Kiosk of the European Parliament, Strasbourg, France) commemorates the great moments of this historic visit. It was produced as a continuation of the collection of philatelic envelopes testifying since 1949 to the history of Europe and its institutions. Its edition is limited to 50 numbered copies.