European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen marked Europe Day by visiting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Tuesday for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The 27-nation bloc historically marks "peace and unity" on Might 9.
On Monday, Zelenskyy introduced his nation would equally have a good time the day "along with all of free Europe."
Von der Leyen has already visited Kyiv on a number of events since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine 14 months in the past. She has been a serious driver in offering help for the embattled nation and in setting sanctions focusing on the Kremlin.
Zelenskyy was within the Netherlands solely final week, the place he urged velocity in having the EU welcome Ukraine as a member.
Ukraine is formally a candidate for membership however formal negotiations have but to start — a course of that might take a few years.
As von der Leyen met Zelenskyy Russia was attributable to have a good time its annual Victory Day with an enormous army parade in Moscow's Purple Sq. overseen by President Vladimir Putin.
Might 9 is the day when Russia marks the defeat of Nazi Germany in World Warfare II.
However observers say the temper will likely be considerably completely different this 12 months due to the continuing battle in Ukraine sparked by Russia's unlawful invasion.
There have been quite a few sabotage assaults throughout Russia in latest weeks that Moscow has blamed on Ukraine though Kyiv has denied any involvement.
Ukraine normally takes half within the Might 9 celebrations however in mild of the invasion, President Zelenskyy has proposed establishing Might 8 as a Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World Warfare II.
"It's on Might 8 that the world honours the reminiscence of all these, whose lives have been taken by that battle. It's pure historical past, with out ideological admixtures," Zelenskyy mentioned in his video tackle revealed on Monday.
Zelenskyy mentioned that 80 years in the past Ukraine was combating towards "complete evil."
"We fought then and we combat now in order that nobody ever once more enslaves different nations and destroys different nations. And all these previous evils that fashionable Russia is bringing again will likely be defeated simply as Nazism was defeated," Zelenskyy mentioned.