Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he and visiting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on May 9 discussed Ukraine's progress toward integration into the European Union, European ammunition deliveries for the Ukrainian military, and fresh Russia sanctions.
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Von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv after Russia overnight launched another missile attack on the Ukrainian capital -- the fifth since the start of the month and the second in as many days.
Zelensky said after the talks that he told von der Leyen, he told her that the Ukrainian military needs faster deliveries of artillery shells from the EU.
Later on May 9, EU lawmakers on May 9 voted to speed up consideration of a law to boost ammunition production in Europe to the tune of 500 million euros ($550 million), due to efforts to supply Ukraine.
The decision should see the new legislation -- termed the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) -- in place by the end of the year, members of the European Parliament and European Commission officials said.
The spending proposal, initiated by the commission, comes as the bloc seeks to supply one million artillery shells to Ukraine over the next 12 months, adding to a stream of military deliveries.
After the meeting with von der Leyen, Zelenskiy also said he criticized the restrictions that some EU nations have imposed on grain exports from Ukraine, saying the measures play to Russia's advantage. The two also talked about a new package of Russia sanctions that the EU is preparing and about Kyiv's progress in EU accession negotiations.
Von der Leyen's visit -- her fifth since the start of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine -- takes place on a day full of symbolism as the European Union on May 9 celebrates Europe Day, a nod to the Schuman Declaration presented by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman on the same day in 1950.
The declaration is seen as cornerstone of what was to become the present-day 27-member EU.
Zelenskiy submitted a bill to parliament officially marking May 9 as Europe Day in Ukraine, while Victory Day, May 8, is to be celebrated as a "day of remembrance and victory over Nazism." The move was seen as a snub to Russia, which invaded Ukraine to prevent it from integrating with Europe.
Zelenskiy said Ukraine would mark May 9 as Europe Day "together with all of free Europe," adding that "Ukraine has always been, is, and will be a part of [this Europe]."
Von der Leyen said on Twitter that she welcomed Zelenskiy's decision to make May 9 Europe Day in Ukraine.
Von der Leyen's arrival came hours after Russia launched 25 cruise missiles at Ukraine, 15 of them targeting Kyiv, in a second attack following a wave of drone strikes on May 8.
"In total, during two waves of attacks on Ukraine on the night of May 9, the Russian occupiers launched 25 cruise missiles; 23 of them were destroyed by the air defense of Ukraine," Ukraine's General Staff said in a statement early on May 9.
The United States on May 9 announced a $1.2 billion security assistance package for Ukraine that includes munitions to boost air defenses and provide Kyiv with additional artillery ammunition, the Defense Department said in a statement.
The package provides funding to purchase weapons from the defense industry as opposed to a drawdown from U.S. stocks, but this means the assistance will take longer to reach the battlefield.
Fighting on May 9 in eastern Ukraine took the life of a journalist with the French news agency AFP. French President Emmanuel Macron hailed the "bravery" of video journalist Arman Soldin, who was killed by rocket fire.
"With bravery, from the first hours of the conflict he was at the front to establish the facts. To inform us," Macron said on Twitter, adding that he shared "the pain of his relatives and all his colleagues."
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry offered "heartfelt condolences" to his family and co-workers.
"He dedicated his life to informing the world about the truth," the ministry said on Twitter.
Earlier on May 9, the head of the capital's military administration, Serhiy Popko, reported that Kyiv's air defenses had detected and destroyed about 15 missiles above the city.
No casualties or damages were immediately reported, Popko said.
The attack on Kyiv was the second in hours, after Russia on May 8 launched 35 suicide drones and 16 missiles. The missile strikes targeted the regions of Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolayiv, and Odesa, and inflicted casualties.
SEE ALSO: Russia Holds Victory Day Celebrations Amid Fresh Strikes On Ukraine"Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded civilians, and high-rise buildings, private homes, and other civilian infrastructure were damaged," the General Staff said.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that five people were injured overnight on May 8 as a result of a drone strike that damaged buildings and infrastructure.
On the battlefield, Ukrainian defenders repelled 42 attacks over the 24-hour period that ended early on May 9 on the Bakhmut-Avdiyivka-Maryinka direction in Donetsk, the military said. The fiercest fighting was taking place in Bakhmut and Maryinka, it added.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Kremlin-connected head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, claimed his forces were inching forward in the fiercely contested town of Bakhmut.
But later on May 9, he accused the Russian Defense Ministry of failing to supply his mercenary fighters with enough ammunition and accused Russian troops of fleeing the fighting around Bakhmut. Prigozhin's comments were the latest in his long-running public feud with top Russian military officials.
He blamed a lack of ammunition for his group's inability to capture Bakhmut and just days ago threatened to pull out of the city if a resupply of ammo did not arrive soon.
On May 8, he said that his forces had begun to receive more ammunition.