It took a long time, but now he’s here: Chancellor Olaf Scholz traveled to Ukraine together with French President Emmanuel Macron and Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi. The trio met on Thursday morning in the southern Polish border town of Przemysl and from there took the train to Kyiv because airspace over Ukraine has been closed for almost four months due to the war. It is the three politicians’ first visit there since the Russian invasion began on February 24.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj had invited Scholz to Kyiv weeks ago. Irritations about the short-term cancellation of a trip by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier from the Ukrainian side initially stood in the way of a visit. After these had been remedied, Scholz hesitated, saying that he “didn’t want to join a group of people who did something for a short in and out with a photo session. But if so, then it’s always about very specific things.”
Olaf Scholz pledges support to Ukraine
“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.” , Scholz justified the visit during the almost ten-hour train ride. “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 continue.”
Scholz, Macron, Draghi and the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, who traveled separately, first visited the Kiev suburb of Irpin, which was partially destroyed by the Russian army. Hundreds of civilians were killed there and in other cities in the region during the Russian occupation in March. At noon, the four European leaders met Zelenskyy for a working lunch at the Marienpalast in the capital to discuss further support for Ukraine and its desire to join the EU.
After the meal, Scholz thanked Selenskyj via Twitter for “the open discussion”. “We Europeans stand firmly by your side,” the Chancellor assured the President. Scholz also thanked Zelenskyj for accepting the invitation to attend the G7 summit at the end of June. This takes place in Schloss Elmau in Bavaria. It remained unclear whether the Ukrainian head of state would leave his country for this or, like at other meetings, be connected via video.
At a joint press conference in the afternoon, Germany, France, Italy and Romania spoke out in favor of Ukraine’s “immediate” EU candidate status. “All four” would support such a candidate status for EU accession, said Macron.
Scholz also promised further arms deliveries, but made no new concrete commitments. “We also support Ukraine with the supply of arms and we will continue to do so as long as Ukraine needs our support,” said the Chancellor. “We are currently training the Ukrainian military on the most modern weapons, on the 2000 self-propelled howitzer and the Gepard anti-aircraft vehicle.” He also promised to supply the modern Iris-T air defense system, “which can defend an entire city against air raids,” says Scholz, and the Cobra special radar. Scholz also referred to tripartite talks with the US and UK with the result that Ukraine would receive multiple rocket launchers. “Germany is giving Ukraine massive support,” was the chancellor’s assessment.
Source: Stern
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