MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd September, 2022) The European Union has accepted more than 8.1 million Ukrainian refugees in seven months since Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday.
"From day one on, the United States, the European Union, and many other friends have stood at Ukraine's side with weapons..., with funds, with hospitality on the European Union's side for more 8.1 million refugees in seven months," von der Leyen said in her keynote speech at Princeton University.
On February 24, Russia began a military operation in Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. The West and its allies imposed comprehensive sanctions against Russia, with the EU pledging to end its dependence on Russian energy supplies. The bloc has already approved seven packages of sanctions against Moscow, including a gradual phase-out of Russian oil. The Ukraine crisis and sanctions have resulted in disruptions of supply chains and a spike in energy prices worldwide, as well as an influx of refugees fleeing to Europe from Ukraine to avoid being dragged into the conflict.
On August 8, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, reported that 7.6 million Ukrainian nationals had entered the EU from Ukraine and Moldova since the beginning of Russia's special operation and 4.7 million Ukrainians had been recorded exiting the EU toward Ukraine during the same period.
