Kiev, 24 February 2024 (dpa/MIA) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has arrived in the Ukrainian capital Kiev for a visit to mark the second anniversary of the Russian invasion.

The visit was intended "to celebrate the extraordinary resistance of the Ukrainian people," she wrote on the platform X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday morning.

"More than ever, we stand firmly by Ukraine. Financially, economically, militarily, morally. Until the country is finally free," von der Leyen wrote.

The visit is one of many events inside and outside Ukraine to mark the anniversary.

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin was launched in the early hours of February 24, 2022.

Russian forces initially advanced on several fronts including marching on the capital Kiev, but then concentrated on occupying ares in the east and south. Russia has since annexed four provinces in the east of Ukraine.

Despite massive Western military and financial aid, Moscow still controls almost a fifth of Ukraine's territory, including the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed in 2014.

The anniversary comes at a crucial time for Ukraine, with Russian troops reporting some progress in the east after a long period of an effective stalement. Ukrainian forces withdrew from the town of Avdiivka a week ago after months of heavy fighting.

Meanwhile, a $60 billion US aid package described by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as being "of fundamental importance for our defence" is currently held up in the US Congress.

Photo: X