(Kyiv) Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz and Mario Draghi began an unprecedented “support” visit to Kyiv on Thursday, as the European Union is due to decide next week whether to grant Ukraine official candidate status.
Released at 6:49 p.m.
Updated at 9:21 p.m.
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The French president, who arrived in Kiev station about ten hours later by train from southeastern Poland, will be in charge of the EU’s rotating leadership until June 30, when he said the leaders had arrived to address the “message of European unity”. Support for Kyiv “for the present and the future”.
The French president defended himself against any “ambiguity” in favor of Kiev by visiting Irbine, one of Kiev’s suburbs devastated at the start of the war by a failed Russian attack on the capital. That Russia “should not be humiliated.”
Photo by Marco Djurica, Reuters
German Chancellor Olaf Scholes.
He declared that “Ukraine must win against the Russian army.” “France has been with Ukraine since day one” […] We stand unequivocally with the Ukrainians, ”he stressed.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholes has been criticized for not supplying German weapons to Ukraine, but has not issued a formal statement this time. He pointed out that the visit was “to show our solidarity” and “to ensure that the assistance we provide, financially, humanitarian, but also weapons, continue.” […] Until it takes on the struggle for Ukrainian independence, ”he told the Bild newspaper in an interview with Kiev.
Like other European leaders who came to Kiev before them, the leaders also roamed the streets of Irbine, standing in front of buildings destroyed by fighting or a burnt-out car, watching a thick Irfin video of the fighting.
At the end of the visit, the French President praised the “heroism” of the Ukrainians.
It was here, among other places, that the Ukrainians stopped the Russian army from landing in Kiev. So you have to imagine the heroism of the military, but also the heroism of the Ukrainian people, referring to “Mr. Macron, the stigma of barbarism” and the current investigations into the war crimes that Ukrainians are blaming on Russian forces.
During the Russian occupation of the region in March, hundreds of civilians were killed in the cities of Irfin, Bautista and Borodianka. An international investigation is underway to find the perpetrators of these war crimes, which Ukrainians blame on Russian forces.
“Clear political signals”
The four leaders returned to central Kiev to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky ahead of a joint news conference in the afternoon.
Photo by Sergei Subinsky, Agencies France-Press
From left to right: German Chancellor Olaf Scholes, French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Roman Chancellor Klaus Iohanis.
The Ukrainian capital has been revived since Russia’s exit from the region, but is still occasionally attacked by Russian fire. Warning sirens often sounded there shortly after the arrival of European leaders.
The question of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union should be at the center of the debate. Mr. Zelensky insists that his country has won the right to join the European camp by defending Europe’s “values” in the face of Russian occupation, which the EU refused to consider before the start of the Russian invasion.
During the summit on June 23-24, it was decided that twenty-seven people would be granted official membership in Ukraine. The European Commission is set to release its recommendation on Friday.
On Wednesday, from Romania, the French president stressed the need to send “clear political signals” to the Ukrainians “in an unprecedented geopolitical situation.”
Of the 27 countries, Eastern European countries support the candidacy, but countries such as Denmark or the Netherlands have booked. Any decision requires consensus.
According to some experts, the candidate can get status with Ukrainian conditions or get a date to start negotiations.
France says it is “open” to the candidacy, but proposes to create a European political community that will allow Ukraine to quickly anchor itself in Europe with concrete plans, such as defense, energy or infrastructure, without having to wait for members. . A proposal that fears indefinite postponement of EU membership was newly welcomed in Kyiv.
The Ukrainian president is expected to reiterate his call to speed up the supply of heavy weapons.
“Ukraine must get everything it needs to achieve success,” he stressed Wednesday before the Czech delegation.
He said France had contributed to the supply of “defensive and post-offensive” military equipment. Macron promised, especially Caesar self-propelled guns, that he had already used the front of the Donbass.
“Tipping Point”
As Ukrainian forces have been fighting in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, which has been partially controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014, Moscow has set the goal of full control.
The United States on Wednesday announced another $ 1 billion in military aid to Ukraine, including additional artillery and shells.
“I want to express my gratitude for this support. It is very important for our safety at Donbass,” he said. Zhelensky responded in his daily video message.
Pentagon President Lloyd Austin on Wednesday called on his allies to “accelerate” the supply of arms to Ukrainians.
Photo by Valeria Mongelli, Agencies France-Press
Pentagon President Lloyd Austin.
“Ukraine is facing a crucial moment on the battlefield,” he told a gathering in Brussels of the United States’ liaison committee set up to help Ukraine militarily. “We need to intensify my collective commitment” and “redouble our efforts so that she can defend herself,” he added.
Fighting has been raging for weeks over the two main neighboring cities for control of the Donbass, Siverodonetsk and Lysitshansk, which have been the subject of constant bombings, and almost all of its infrastructure — electricity, water, communications — is no longer working.
“It is getting harder every day, the Russians are bringing more and more weapons into the city and trying to attack from many directions,” Siverodonetsk Mayor Oleksandr Strok said on Thursday.
Ukrainian forces are specifically stationed at the Azot chemical plant, a symbol of the city with about 100,000 civilians before the war, and there were more than 500 civilians inside, says Siverodonetsk Mayor Oleksandre Strok.
On Tuesday, Moscow proposed a “humanitarian corridor” that would expel these citizens into Russian-controlled territory, before accusing Kiev of “failing” the operation on Wednesday.
In total, about 10,000 civilians are still in Siverodonetsk, Luhansk region Governor Sergei Kaitoy said on Thursday.
Photo by ARIS MESSINIS, Agence France-Presse
Aerial view of Siverodonetsk.
“For almost four months, they (the Russians) dreamed of controlling Sivirodonetsk, where out of 100,000 people, about 10,000 are still there, not counting the victims,” he said in a telegram.
According to him, “the Russian army is losing hundreds of fighters, but finding reserves and destroying Siverodonetsk.” But “our soldiers have security,” he said.
