Ukraine has been pushing for a visit by the German chancellor to Kyiv for weeks. Now he’s here – along with two other powerful Europeans. After four months of war, expectations are high.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz assured Ukraine of European solidarity. “We Europeans stand firmly by your side,” Scholz wrote on Twitter on Thursday.
He thanked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for welcoming him, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in Kyiv. It was an open conversation.
After a joint photo session in front of the building, the top politicians sat down at a round table. Before the meeting, the European guests had visited the Kiev suburb of Irpin and seen the destruction caused by the Russian attacks.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the “brutality” of the Russian war of aggression in Irpin. Scholz spoke of senseless violence on Thursday. Innocent civilians were hit and houses were destroyed.
An entire city was destroyed in which there were no military structures at all. “That says a lot about the brutality of the Russian war of aggression, which is simply out for destruction and conquest.” The destruction in Irpin is a “very important memorial” that something needs to be done.
It is a terrible war, said the Chancellor. “Russia is driving it forward with the utmost brutality, with no regard for human life. And that’s what has to come to an end.” Scholz assured Ukraine of international solidarity.
Draghi: A place of destruction, but also of hope
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi believes Ukraine is capable of rebuilding after the Russian war of aggression. “This is a place of destruction, but also of hope,” Draghi said.
“A lot of what I was told here revolved around the future and reconstruction,” Draghi told journalists, according to the Ansa news agency. “The people were united by the war, they can now do things that might not have been possible before the war.” When asked whether international aid similar to the Marshall Plan was necessary, he replied: “We’ll talk about that later.”
Scholz assures further help
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has assured Ukraine of continued full support in its fight against Russia’s attack. “It is important when the heads of government of the three big countries, who were involved in the founding of the European Economic Community, go to Kyiv and show their support for Ukraine and the citizens of Ukraine in this very special situation of war.” , said the SPD politician on his journey to Kyiv on a special train. Scholz was accompanied by French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
“But we don’t just want to demonstrate solidarity, we also want to assure that the help we organize, financial, humanitarian, but also when it comes to weapons, will be continued,” added Scholz. The support will continue for as long “as is necessary for Ukraine’s struggle for independence”. At the same time, it will be made clear once again that the sanctions imposed on Russia are of great importance. “Because they contribute to the chance that Russia will give up its plan and withdraw its troops again. Because that’s the goal,” emphasized Scholz.
Another air raid in Kyiv
For the second time, air alarms were triggered during Scholz’s visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. This was reported by a reporter from the German Press Agency on site. There had been an air raid alarm early in the morning. There were also air alerts in numerous other parts of the country.
The guests from the EU were staying in the Presidential Palace at the time of the new air raid alarm. Scholz, Macron and Draghi traveled to the Ukrainian capital on a special train that morning. There they met Zelenskyy to discuss further support for the country attacked by Russia. The meeting also discussed Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
Macron: Message of European unity
French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged Europe’s unified support to Ukraine in repelling Russia’s attack. Upon his arrival at the Kyiv train station on Thursday, Macron said it was about a “message of European unity addressed to the Ukrainians, and of support, to talk about the present and the future at the same time, because we know that the will be difficult in the next few weeks”.
Melnyk calls Scholz’s visit to Kyiv an important signal
The Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, described Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to his country as an “important signal”. It should “open a new chapter in German support for Ukraine,” Melnyk told the German Press Agency on Thursday. A new direction is urgently needed.
“The Ukrainians hope that the Chancellor will not come empty-handed, but will bring a solid package of military aid in his suitcase,” Melnyk told dpa. The point is that Germany should quickly deliver more heavy weapons, especially artillery pieces such as the Panzerhaubitze 2000 and the Mars II multiple rocket launcher.
Kremlin: Chancellor Scholz shouldn’t just talk about weapons
According to the Kremlin, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron and their colleagues from Italy and Romania should not only concentrate on military aid for Ukraine during their visit to Kyiv. Moscow hopes that the representatives of the EU states will “get Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to look at the situation as it really is,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
The visit should not only be about further arming Ukraine. “This is absolutely pointless, it causes people to suffer and will simply cause further damage to this country,” emphasized Peskov. The Russian military now reports the destruction of Western weapons in Ukraine almost every day. For months in the war, Russia has accused Ukraine of misjudging its strength.
Tymoshenko welcomes Kyiv trip
Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko welcomed the trip to Kyiv by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his colleagues Emmanuel Macron and Mario Draghi. In an interview with the Italian TV channel RaiNews24 on Thursday, the politician was convinced that the visit of the three European heads of state and government would contribute to even greater support for the country attacked by Russia.
“I believe that the top three politicians from Italy, Germany and France will become even more convinced to stay with Ukraine after their trip or during it,” she said. Tymoshenko was Prime Minister in Kyiv for a few months in 2005 and then again from late 2007 to early 2010. She is currently a member of an opposition party in the Ukrainian parliament.
Meeting with Zelenskyy
Scholz, Macron and Draghi want to talk to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about further support for the country under attack from Russia and about Ukraine’s desire to join the EU. Scholz has always emphasized that he will only travel to Kyiv if there are specific things to discuss. Zelenskyj demands the delivery of more heavy weapons and that the EU agrees to Ukraine’s candidacy for membership at its summit in Brussels next week.
Since mid-March, numerous heads of state and government have traveled to Ukraine, which has now been defending itself against attacks by Russian forces for almost four months. However, this visit is undoubtedly the most important: Scholz, Macron and Draghi represent the three most populous and economically strong EU countries. All three states belong to the G7, in which democratic economic powers have come together. Germany currently chairs this group, and France holds the EU presidency.
Selenskyj had already invited Scholz to Kyiv weeks ago. At first, however, there was resentment because of the short-term cancellation of a trip by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier from the Ukrainian side. After the irritations had been cleared up, Scholz pointed out that such a trip was not about symbols, but about content: “I will not join a group of people who do something for a short in and out with a photo shoot . But when it does, it’s always about very specific things.”
A number of his ministers were in Ukraine before him: Annalena Baerbock (external, Greens), Svenja Schulze (development, SPD) and most recently Karl Lauterbach (health, SPD) and Cem Özdemir (agriculture, Greens). Parliament President Bärbel Bas (SPD) and opposition leader Friedrich Merz (CDU) also visited Kyiv.
Romania’s president demands punishment for Russian atrocities
Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis has again demanded that atrocities committed by Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine be brought before an international criminal court. “I strongly renew my appeal for all Russian perpetrators to be held accountable by international criminal justice – which Romania fully supports -” Iohannis tweeted on Thursday after a visit to the Kiev suburb of Irpin, which was badly damaged by Russian shelling. “There are no words to describe the unimaginable human tragedy and terrible destruction we witnessed at Irpin today,” Iohannis wrote.
Trip had been planned for some time
The trip of the three heads of state and government had been planned for some time. Despite some media reports, it was not confirmed until recently for security reasons. Scholz flew to southern Poland on Wednesday evening. The special train with nine wagons left the border town of Przemysl towards Kyiv shortly before midnight. The airspace is closed because of the war. Even for presidents and heads of government, the only way is overland. Many war refugees entered the EU via Przemysl – and have been returning this way for some time now.
Source: Stern
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