“Welcome back, Katarína,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, shaking my hand and smiling. That was exactly three years ago today. It was a sunny day, and the sunlight found its way into the beautiful Saint Sophia Cathedral. I had just presented my credentials to the President. Those words have stayed with me ever since. Before becoming EU Ambassador, I had worked closely with Ukraine for years at the European Commission. So I was not arriving in a country of strangers. I was returning to a country where people knew me, including its President, and which already meant a great deal to me. That day, I presented my credentials alongside the ambassadors of France, Canada, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Estonia and Slovenia. Three years later, only Mateja from Slovenia and I are still here. Everyone else has completed their mission and moved on. Today, I begin my fourth and final year. I have travelled across Ukraine in every direction. I have never wanted to lead this mission from behind a desk. I wanted to be in the regions, to listen and to understand. I have met extraordinary people who will remain in my heart forever. There has been war, permanent stress and more horror than anyone should ever witness. But I have also seen the immense strength of Ukrainians. Ukraine is fighting on two fronts. In the trenches, for its survival. And at home, for its place in the EU, carrying out difficult reforms that many member states struggled to deliver even in peacetime. I love this country deeply. I bow to its courage and resilience. And despite the war and the daily tragedies, I thank fate for the privilege of being here. 🇪🇺🤝🇺🇦

We were having breakfast with teachers from Kyiv schools today when the explosions began around us. Our Women Who Teach the Future event started at 11 a.m. We had chosen a cafe underground - essentially a shelter. In Kyiv, that is how you plan events these days. We were discussing how to bring the EU closer to young people. How to show them that Europe is more than an abstract bubble in Brussels. But I kept hearing the explosions and thinking: how many people will not survive today? The assault had begun overnight. russia launched 188 attack drones and an unspecified number of missiles. Kyiv’s energy infrastructure was a main target. The attack did not end in the morning. Drones kept coming during the whole day. By early afternoon, Kyiv had spent around 13 hours under air-raid alert since midnight, with only a 35-minute break. According to the latest reports, three people were killed and six injured in Kyiv. In nearby Vyshhorod, a 14-year-old boy was killed. These numbers may still rise. Across the table sat women who teach children while drones and missiles fly above their schools. They told me how hard it is to teach without daylight. But for many of them, classrooms underground are the way to keep teaching. Today, while Kyiv shook above us, they came to talk about their students and their future in Europe. Ukraine’s strength has many faces. Today, it had the faces of Kyiv’s teachers. 🇪🇺🤝🇺🇦

Kyiv and many places in Ukraine have been under non-stop drone and missile attack. Five people killed and many dozens injured. In Kyiv, energy infrastructure was the main target, but also private houses warehouses and businesses were hit. Explosions and air defense working have been with us all night and since the morning. This is simply russian terror against the civilians and economic basis of 🇺🇦.

Yesterday, an explosion - the strongest one yet I have experienced in my three years here - jolted me out of my chair in Kyiv. This morning, sitting in the very same chair in my ofice - I was thinking about what happened in this city 85 years ago. On 29 September 1941, Kyiv’s Jews were ordered to gather with their documents, clothes and valuables. They were led to Babyn Yar, a ravine on the outskirts of Kyiv. In just two days, the German Nazi forces and their accomplices murdered an astonishing 33,771 Jewish men, women and children there. The killings then continued: Roma, prisoners of war and many others who came to their death at Babyn Yar. I live in a city that remembers them. What moves me about Ukrainians is how seriously they take days like today. Even now, when air alerts interrupt their work and their sleep, remembrance is never just another item on the calendar. People come. They light candles. They tell their children what happened here. I do not know many countries where the past feels so very present in everyday life. This afternoon, I remembered the people murdered at Babyn Yar together with President Zelenskyy and the entire diplomatic corps. I will think about the families who never saw their loved ones come home. And I will be grateful to those who keep telling their stories, even during another brutal war. Slava Ukraïni! 🇪🇺🤝🇺🇦

Productive meeting with NBU Governor Andriy @Pyshnyy. @NBUkraine is a reliable partner, helping maintain monetary stability in the most difficult circumstances during the war. 🇺🇦🤝🇪🇺 Grateful for the strong cooperation and continued commitment to 🇺🇦 economic resilience.

❗ ❗ ❗ A little while ago, an explosion jolted me out of my chair in my Kyiv office. It was the loudest blast yet I have experienced in three years here. A building about two hundred meters from the 🇪🇺 Delegation was hit by a jet powered drone. During daytime. The target was a hospital… Earlier today a russian strike hit a building of Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences that houses UARNet, the country’s academic and research network. According to the first reports, one person has been killed and three injured. These figures are likely to change. This was also during working hours, with people inside working. The building was in flames. Several people tried to escape through the windows. These two blasts follow days of almost non-stop alerts and attacks. On Sunday, Kyiv spent almost 19 hours under air-raid alert. Two people were killed at a large food street market. Homes, schools, two kindergartens and data centers were also hit. In Kharkiv, nine children were among those injured when an apartment building was struck. In Sumy, a bomb hit a residential area, killing two people and injuring dozens, including children. Today, in Dnipro, a drone directed at the city center killed three people and injured at least other fifteen. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is calling for a strong response to the attacks. He is right. Ukraine urgently needs stronger air defence and much stronger pressure on russia. At the negotiating table, russia speaks of de-escalation. In Kyiv, we hear the loud explosions. Do not ever believe russia when it talks about peace. 🇪🇺🤝🇺🇦

Glad to open this important discussion on Ukraine’s constitutional transformation, EU integration and post-war recovery, together with @r_stefanchuk . Congratulations to the Research Service of the Verkhovna Rada on its 4th anniversary. As Ukraine marks 30 years of its Constitution, it is an important moment to reflect on its role in strengthening 🇺🇦 democracy & rule of law. 🇪🇺 will continue to stand with 🇺🇦 on its integration path and in its fight for freedom & peace. 🇺🇦🤝🇪🇺

Just near @EUDelegationUA office, another russian drone has hit the centre of Kyiv It is very scary to experience it so close by…

Another russian strike in the heart of Kyiv, targeting a National Academy os Science in broad daylight just 100 metres from the German Embassy @GermanyinUA. This is deliberate terror against civilians. 🇺🇦 needs more air defence, stronger sanctions and tougher international pressure. russia must face consequences for every attack. 🇺🇦🤝🇪🇺

The support that 🇺🇦 needs the most. Day and night, attacks on civilian cities continue. This is terror, not a war tactic. We will support 🇺🇦 as much as needed. #WeStandWithUkraine 🇺🇦🤝🇪🇺

Exactly five years ago, I walked along the shores of the Azov Sea. Cleaning a beach close to Prymorsk was one of my favourite projects to visit. The weather was cool. I breathed in the salty air and heard some seagulls above me. A seagull is far from a white dove, but that day, it still felt like a symbol of peace. After cleaning up part of the beach, we visited the vibrant Berdyansk university, housed in a well preserved historic building. Berdyansk was one of the first cities that fell under russian accusation just half a year after my visit there. I often think of the eager young students. Where are they now? Then we went onto Mariupol and also joined UNHCR colleagues in a visit the line of contact East of the city. Talked to the few local residents left and observed the many signs warning of mines. I could never have imagined that five years later, the entire Ukrainian coast of Sea of Azov would still be under russian occupation. Berdyansk. Mariupol. Prymorsk. Occupied Ukrainian territory. I want to walk those shores again one day. To hear the seagulls over the Azov Sea, to see students filling the streets of Berdyansk, and families strolling along the waterfront in Mariupol. 🇪🇺🤝🇺🇦

Much-needed support for Ukraine at a crucial moment. 🇪🇺🤝🇺🇦 Europe is standing with Ukraine & continuing to turn its commitment into concrete action.

I was in Poltava, a city where history is never just the past. That was my first thought as I stood by the monument to Ivan Mazepa. More than 300 years ago, Mazepa understood that Moscow threatened Ukrainian autonomy. He broke with Peter the Great and chose a European alliance with the Swedish King. It ended in a defeat here at the Battle of Poltava, but the choice Mazepa made still resonates today. The main reason for my visit was to open an academic building renovated with support from the 🇪🇺 and the European Investment Bank, represented by Kristina Mikulova. New heating, modern equipment, accessible spaces and a shelter for 1000 people will improve daily life for nearly 2,900 students and 86 staff members. The gratitude of the students and teachers was deeply moving. We started the day with the daily Minute of Silence to the fallen heroes and lighting candles, together with the city and regional authorities, to honour their sacrifice. At the State Emergency Service training and rehabilitation centre, I met rescuers who come from across Ukraine to train, study and recover. And one small childhood dream came true!! I sat inside a fire truck and switched on the siren:). Then we got hungry and tasted the region through halushky, kachana kasha and varenyky with poppy seeds and cherries. Yummy. To finish in Poltava we swung by a rather curious looking statue to William Shakespeare rather hidden in a university botanical garden. You judge yourself. Our final stop was an embroidery studio in the town of Reshetylivka, supported by the EU. Its artisans preserve the extraordinary white-on-white embroidery tradition while creating works for international exhibitions. And yes, I left with a beautiful white vyshyvanka for my collection. Thank you, Poltava. What a full and also delicious day we had! 🇪🇺🤝🇺🇦

🇪🇺 support for 🇺🇦 continues! Reforms under Ukraine facility led to today’s approval of 3bn EUR tranche. @EUDelegationUA

Glad to speak with Estonian Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Hendrik Johannes Terras @terrashendrikj during his visit to Kyiv. Discussed food security, agricultural recovery & 🇺🇦’s EU enlargement process as well as opportunities to strengthen cooperation in the agricultural sphere. 🇪🇺🇪🇪🤝🇺🇦

❗ ❗ ❗ Some breaking news from Kyiv with your lunch. A little while ago, in a span of fifteen or twenty minutes we heard three enormous, deafening explosions. These were followed huge plumes of smoke. We could see that from our offices. We immediately moved from our offices into the corridor. The photo shows how we are working right now. russians do not let us sleep, breathe or work. 🇪🇺🤝🇺🇦