By AFP and Kontur | 2023-11-24

KYIV -- European Union (EU) chief Charles Michel made an unannounced visit to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on November 21, the 10th anniversary of the start of the pro-European Maidan protest movement.

"Good to be back in Kyiv, among friends," the president of the European Council posted on social media, alongside a picture of him descending from a train.

The European Council defines the general political direction and priorities of the European Union.

Michel said ahead of his arrival in Kyiv that he was coming to "express the strong support of the EU" and prepare with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for an upcoming European Union summit in December.

The European Commission, the EU's executive, in early November recommended opening formal membership talks with Ukraine.

The EU's 27 leaders still have to sign off on the recommendations at the summit.

Michel arrived a few hours after German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who is also making an unannounced visit to reaffirm Berlin's backing for Ukraine.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited November 20 and pledged further military support.

The flurry of visits comes as Zelenskyy has expressed concerns over the conflict between Israel and Hamas drawing international attention away from Ukraine.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a video posted on social media November 21 stressed that "the future of Ukraine is in the European Union," linking this to the Maidan anniversary.

"The future that the Maidan fought for has finally begun," she said.

The protest movement began in November 2013 on Kyiv's Independence Square (Maidan Nezalezhnosti) after Kremlin-backed President Viktor Yanukovych ditched an association agreement with the European Union.

He fled to Russia in February 2014 after a violent crackdown on the protests killed dozens of protesters and further fueled public anger.

'First victory of today's war'

Zelenskyy November 21 linked the historic pro-democracy protests to the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"The first victory in today's war took place. A victory against indifference. A victory of courage. The victory of the Revolution of Dignity," Zelenskyy said in a statement.

Zelenskyy praised his country's progress towards gaining EU membership since the Russian invasion.

"Year after year, step by step, we do our best to ensure that our star shines in the circle of stars on the EU flag, which symbolizes the unity of the peoples of Europe. The star of Ukraine," he said.

The Kremlin, however, described the Maidan protests as an attempt to topple the government with the backing of foreign powers.

"It was a coup. It was an overthrow of the authorities ... that was sponsored from abroad. Things need to be called by their names," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters November 21.

Russia's goal was to continue with its invasion of Ukraine, he said.

The United Nations (UN) meanwhile November 21 said that more than 10,000, including more than 560 children, had been killed and more than 18,500 wounded since Russia invaded.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine noted that the real figure was likely to be "significantly" higher, given complications in verifying deaths.