[WATCH] Defiant Metsola visits Kyiv on Europe Day

In her third visit to Ukraine, Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament and a PN MEP candidate is in Kyiv to mark Europe Day.

The visit was kept under wraps for security reasons.

An exceptional sunny and bright day welcomed a defiant Metsola in a capital city that tries to give the impression of normality as pedestrians and public transport go about their daily business like any other European city.

Accompanied by several journalists, including a crew from MaltaToday, she visited a power station on the outskirts of Kyiv that was totally destroyed from a drone and missile strike in April. Metsola was accompanied by Ruslan Stefanchuk, the chairman of the Verkohobvna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament.

Earlier, Stefanchuk greeted her with flowers as she descended from the night train following a seven-hour journey from the Polish border.

Her itinerary was kept secret from journalists. At the power station journalists were taken around to see the extensive damage to the plant which fed Kyiv’s electricity grid and the surrounding villages.

Later under strict security Metsola was taken to a school on a main street in the centre of Kyiv which was also bombed by Russian missiles.

On location, Stefanchuk explained that the missile destroyed the school totally and caused damage to the surrounding residential areas.      

Metsola is visiting Ukraine on Europe Day and is expected to meet the country’s authorities, including President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Tensions are high in Kyiv, a day after a barrage of missiles targeting Ukraine’s power grid, which also coincided with Vladimir Putin’s inauguration as the newly elected Russian president, following a one-sided election.

Ukrainian officials told MaltaToday they expected the Russians to put on display a show of force. All journalists were given helmets and bullet proof vests as a precaution and asked to switch off their phones.

Metsola’s eyes may be focussed on her campaign in Malta where she stands to gain the highest number of first count votes for any candidate but she also harbours the ambition of securing another term as president of the European Parliament after 8 June. Nonetheless, Metsola is being encouraged by PN functionaries to come back to Malta and lead the PN in national elections due in three years’ time.