"Air-raid sirens sound in Kyiv as EU summit opens," is the headline of an International Media story, which reads:
"Air raid alarms sounded across Ukraine on Friday, warning the world of a possible wave of Russian attacks.
Sirens rang out in Kyiv, the capital, where European Union leaders arrived Thursday for talks with Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president today.
European leaders are expected to be driven to safe havens.
Charles Michel, president of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, are among those present at the summit ahead of the first anniversary of Russia's invasion on February 24.
At the moment, sirens are sounding in every region of Ukraine"
European Union leaders are scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv on Friday, pledging new sanctions against Russia but likely dashing Ukraine's hope for swift EU membership.
The head of the EU's executive commission, Ursula von der Leyen, arrived in Kyiv by train on Thursday, a symbolic trip to show support for Ukraine as the first anniversary of Russia's invasion approaches on February 24, 2022.
Senior members of the EU executive met with their counterparts in the Ukrainian government, and von der Leyen and the head of the EU's 27 national leaders, Charles Michel, will hold talks with Zelensky today.
Zelensky has called for more punitive measures against Russia from the European Union, but the new sanctions the bloc is preparing for the anniversary are set to fall short of his government's demands.
We reached a very important mutual understanding," Zelensky said for the Thursday's talks. "That only together a strong Ukraine and a strong European Union, through our further integration, can provide energy and motivation to fight regardless of obstacles and threats ».
While the EU supports Ukraine and supports democratic and economic reforms there, it refuses to offer a fast track to membership while Ukraine is at war.
EU officials have listed multiple entry requirements, from political and economic stability to the adoption of various EU laws. The process is likely to take years.
"Some may want to speculate about the end game, but the simple truth is that we are not there yet," said an EU official.
The last country to join the EU was Croatia in 2013, a decade after it formally applied.
Ukraine applied for membership shortly after the invasion and was granted formal EU candidate status in June.
EU officials said in topics that discussed on Thursday were included more weapons, money and energy for Ukraine, better access for its goods to the EU market, tougher sanctions on Moscow and efforts to prosecute Russian war crimes.
The German government has approved the delivery of Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine from stockpiles and is in discussion to buy 15 Gepard tanks from Qatar for deployment there, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported on Friday, citing government sources.
The Leopard 1s are not as advanced as the Leopard 2s promised by Germany and other countries last week, but could be delivered sooner.
The EU has demanded more anti-corruption measures from Ukraine, which is seen as having endemic state graft, saying it needs to establish a credible track record.
To that end, Zelensky has announced firings and investigations of a number of officials over the past two weeks, aptly saying that the defense ministry must be cleaned up.
The EU-Ukraine summit coincides with the intensification of Russian pressure on Ukrainian forces on the eastern battlefields and also in the northeast and south.
Moscow says one of its main goals in Ukraine is to secure the rest of Donetsk province, one of four it unilaterally annexed in September. Its main focus has been on the Donetsk city of Bakhmut, where its forces have made gradual gains over the past week.
In Washington, CIA Director William Burns said developments on the battlefield in the next six months would be "absolutely critical" and that Russian President Vladimir Putin was not serious about negotiations.
Why did Putin hit Kyiv now?
In closing, we point out that the Russian attack on Kyiv is part of Putin's PSEP (Psychological Operations) against the EU, while showing the absolute lack of respect for the High European Officials who are in the Ukrainian capital.
In addition, it is now shown that the war in Ukraine is entering its harshest phase and that the rift in Russia-EU relations has now become unbridgeable.
