Ukraine's EU bid and diplomacy in the war's first week
A look back at the diplomatic and political developments reported around 2 March 2022, from Brussels to Beijing.
What was happening in Ukraine's politics and diplomacy on 2 March 2022, a week into the Russian invasion? Reports from that day and the days just before it point to a push for closer ties with Europe, early mediation efforts and fresh calls for protest in Russia.
On 28 February, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Ukraine's application for European Union membership. The same day, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Ukraine should eventually join the EU, calling it one of the bloc's own. On 1 March, the European Parliament formally accepted the application.
Diplomacy moved on several tracks. Presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak announced on 28 February that peace talks had begun, with Ukraine pressing for a ceasefire. The office of French President Emmanuel Macron said that, in a phone call, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed his willingness to make commitments to stop attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure and to secure major roadways. On 1 March, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba asked China to help mediate a ceasefire, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China was ready to help the two sides reach an agreement.
Military support was also in focus. On 28 February, Ukrainian pilots began arriving in Poland to take over fighter aircraft donated by EU countries, and the Ukrainian government listed 70 jets. Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said he had rejected the request, and EU security chief Josep Borrell later clarified that the donations were bilateral, made by individual member states rather than the EU.
On 1 March, a senior Ukrainian territorial defence official said Belarusian ground units had entered northern Chernihiv Oblast, but the presidential office said there was no evidence of it. Andorra's prime minister, Xavier Espot, announced urgent parliamentary procedure for sanctions on Russia. On 2 March, opposition leader Alexei Navalny called for more anti-war protests in Russia and worldwide.
