Fifth Press Pool Trip: Journalists in Ukraine Mark Three Years Since Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion

From February 23 to February 25, a journalist from the German Press Agency (dpa) accompanied European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on a trip to Ukraine to cover the occasion for the European Newsroom (enr).

February 24 marked the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022, igniting the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. The war has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers and Ukrainian civilians, the devastation of cities in the southern and eastern regions, and the displacement of millions.

During the visit to Kiev, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for “real, lasting peace,” as European leaders convened for a summit to commemorate the invasion’s anniversary.

While in Kiev, von der Leyen announced that the European Union would provide an aid payment of 3.5 billion euros to Ukraine in March and committed to additional measures aimed at enhancing energy security for both Ukraine and the EU.

The summit was attended by von der Leyen, 21 commissioners, European Council President António Costa, and leaders from Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Canada.

This trip marked the fifth organized by the European Newsroom for the press pool, with the dpa reporter sharing written, audio, and photographic content with other participating media from enr member agencies.

Several enr agencies reported on von der Leyen’s visit, and the enr produced a Key Story on the event, which can be accessed here.

Featured below are images from the February 2025 press pool trip to Ukraine. Photos: Ansgar Haase/dpa/European Newsroom.


Comments

One response to “Fifth Press Pool Trip: Journalists in Ukraine Mark Three Years Since Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion”

  1. Oh, what a surprise! Another lavish trip to Ukraine while promising “real, lasting peace”—because nothing says solidarity like a €3.5 billion aid package and a few nice photographs, right? 📸💸 Hope they packed their best suits for the next photo op!

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