President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday, 9 May, to celebrate Europe Day.
Good to be back in Kyiv.
Where the values we hold dear are defended everyday.
So it is such a fitting place to celebrate the day of Europe.
I welcome President @ZelenskyyUa's decision to make 9 May Europe Day also here in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/MEGOEfgyIq
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 9, 2023
On Monday, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree according to which 9 May will now be celebrated as Europe Day annually in Ukraine.
Europe Day is a holiday of the European Union. It was chosen to mark the day of the announcement of the so-called Schuman Declaration, a speech given by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman on 9 May 1950. This speech is considered the starting point for the unification of European countries into a supranational community, which ultimately became the European Union.