On 2 February, President Ursula von der Leyen travelled to Kyiv, accompanied by 15 Commissioners, for the first ever meeting between the College and the Ukrainian Government. The meeting between the College and the government of Ukraine sent a strong signal of the EU's unwavering commitment to stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes, including with a new €450 million assistance package for 2023. This brings the total support made available so far to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's war from the EU, its Member States and European financial institutions to around €50 billion. In addition to this, the Commission is working towards a €1 billion contribution to fast recovery. To support Ukraine, the Commission has also put forward additional measures to facilitate trade, notably the suspension of import duties on Ukrainian exports and will now propose to extend such measures beyond June 2023. The establishment of Solidarity Lanes has also helped Ukraine export its goods and import what it needs, with more than 23 million  tonnes of grain and related products already transported via these alternative  routes.