Ukraine's Kuleba is optimistic about country's European future

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who is currently on a visit to Odessa together with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, has expressed optimism about his country's future in the European Union.

"Two years ago, I could not have imagined that in 2024 there would be so many reasons to be proud to be European," said Kuleba on Saturday during a joint appearance with Baerbock at the Palanca border crossing between Moldova and Ukraine.

The ministers' trip comes as Ukraine marks two years since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Baerbock said today could also be described as a "day of joy" because the European flag could be seen at the border crossing. "Over the past two years, we have travelled this European path together."

The EU decided last December to launch accession negotations with the government in Kiev. However, it is expected to take many more years before Ukraine can join the bloc.

Kuleba said that Ukraine and Europe had travelled a common path over the past two years since the start of the war. Ukraine was being supplied with weapons and was on the way to joining the European Union, he said. Europe had asserted itself as a strong player that was making "ambitious historical decisions,"

"History is being written right now," said Kuleba.

From the border, the two ministers travelled on to Odessa on the Black Sea, which had just been attacked with Russian combat drones for the second night in a row on the eve of the two-year anniversary.