EU leaders arrive in Kyiv for meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky

(CNN) — The Prime Ministers of Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic have arrived in the capital Kyiv for a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to confirm the European Union’s “unequivocal support” for Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion.

Late on Tuesday, Ukraine’s Shmyhal said they had arrived in the city on behalf of the EU Council. He praised the “courage of true friends” and said the leaders would discuss “support of Ukraine and strengthening sanctions against the Russian aggression,” on a Twitter post.

Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced his arrival to the Ukrainian capital on Twitter, saying, “It is here, in war-torn Kyiv, that history is being made. It is here, that freedom fights against the world of tyranny. It is here that the future of us all hangs in the balance. EU supports UA (Ukraine), which can count on the help of its friends — we brought this message to Kyiv today.”

Zelensky welcomed the Prime Ministers in a video posted on his Telegram channel, telling them the “visit to Kyiv at this difficult time for Ukraine is a strong sign of support. We really appreciate it.”

Morawiecki and his deputy Jarosław Kaczyński, Slovenia’s Janez Janša and the Czech Republic’s Petr Fiala departed on a train before 9 a.m. local time, the head of the chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland, Michal Dworczyk, said. The train departed from Poland, a press officer for the Czech government told CNN later on Tuesday.

The purpose of the visit is “to confirm the unequivocal support of the entire European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine and to present a broad package of support for the Ukrainian state and society,” a government spokesperson said.

They said the trip to Kyiv had been organized in agreement with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and added that the international community would be informed about the delegation visit through international organizations, including the United Nations.

“At such breakthrough times for the world, it is our duty to be where history is forged; because it is not about us, but about the future of our children who deserve to live in a world free from tyranny,” Morawiecki said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

Morawiecki said he and the other leaders were going to Kyiv to “show Ukrainians our solidarity” and denounced “Putin’s criminal aggression against Ukraine.”

Kyiv came under attack from multiple directions on Tuesday. Four people were killed when a 16-story building in a residential area of western Kyiv was shelled, city mayor Vitali Klitschko said. At least four residential buildings were hit by air strikes on Tuesday morning.

Ahead of the meeting with Zelensky on Tuesday, Slovenia’s Janša sent a message to Ukraine, posting on Twitter: “Thank you for not only defending your homeland and Europe as a territory, but for defending the very core of European values and our way of life. Your fight is our fight and together we will prevail.”

More than 3 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, the International Organization for Migration said Tuesday.

Poland has been the biggest recipient of refugees from Ukraine, with more than 1.7 million people entering the country as of Sunday, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi has praised Morawiecki and his government for their “exceptional support” of Ukrainian refugees.

Poland also put forward a plan to send fighter jets to Ukraine, although this was rejected by the US.

Meanwhile, the Czech Republic has bolstered the military aid it is providing to Ukraine, with a supplementary aid package worth at least $31.5 million, in addition to the $8.5 million shipment it already sent in February.

Prime Minister Fiala said last month his country was sending “machine guns, submachine guns, sniper rifles and pistols and their corresponding ammunition valued at CZK 188 million,” to support the Ukrainian government in its fight against Russia.

This story was first published on CNN.com, “EU leaders arrive in Kyiv for meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky.”