European Commission

Shortly afterwards, the Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger spoke up, saying that his country had donated its S-300 air defense system to help Ukraine defend itself from Russian aggression.

Von der Leyen and Borrell left for Kyiv last night by train from Przemyl, Poland, about 13 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.
Von der Leyen is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

Looking forward to Kyiv.@JosepBorrellF @eduardheger pic.twitter.com/YFAgGr5Tlc

Greece has declared 12 Russian diplomats persona non grata. The European Union will also sanction the import of Russian oil, the President of the European Commission told the European Parliament.

Ursula von der Leyen presented the restrictions announced on Tuesday, including a ban on buying Russian coal.

Bulgaria's Recovery and Sustainability Plan has been finally approved by Brussels, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said:

"We can all congratulate each other that Bulgaria already has a very good and working plan."

At the invitation of Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will pay a visit to Sofia on April 8. During her visit to Bulgaria, she will personally present the EC's assessment of the Bulgarian Recovery and Sustainability Plan (RSP) and its compliance with European requirements.

The European Union will supply Ukrainian troops with deadly weapons worth 450m euros, said European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

Another difficult night around the Russia-Ukraine conflict. A series of international reactions and new sanctions mark the fourth night of shelling.

Sanctions

The EU and NATO tonight condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to recognize the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk.

The European Union and African leaders agreed to a "renewed partnership" at a summit last week with pledges of major investments, but Europe was accused of ignoring calls to waive patents for COVID-19 vaccinations.

US President Joe Biden held talks with Allied leaders yesterday. The participants in the conversation expressed concern over the accumulation of Russian troops around Ukraine and expressed a desire for a diplomatic solution to the crisis, Reuters reported, citing the White House.