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Ukraine belongs to the European Union and the bloc would like to see it as part of it, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told Euronews television.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
“In fact, over time, they belong to us. “They are one of us and we love them,” said von der Leyen.<\/p>\n
The comments follow a landmark vote by 27 EU countries on Ukraine’s arms supplies.<\/p>\n
Ukraine has been under full Russian occupation since February 24.<\/p>\n
The Russian state opposes its integration into the European Union and NATO.<\/p>\n
Ukraine in NATO would be an “existential threat” to Russia, said Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n
When ordering the invasion, Putin said he had authorized “a special military operation” to “demilitarize” Ukraine.<\/p>\n
He had previously declared two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine independent.<\/p>\n
In 2014, Russia also annexed the Ukrainian Peninsula of Crimea and fueled the separatist movement in eastern Ukraine.<\/p>\n
The West has strongly condemned Russia’s actions, calling them a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.<\/p>\n
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