The leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania pledged on Thursday to support Ukraine’s EU bid after traveling to Kyiv and meeting with President Vladimir Zelensky to show support for the Russian invasion.
“Europe is on your side and will stay there as long as necessary,” French President Emmanuel Macron told Zelensky at a news conference, condemning Russia for “war, destruction and chaos” and “barbarism” committed on the outskirts of Kyiv. Irpinski, whom the leaders visited earlier in the day.
“All four support the immediate granting of EU candidate status to Ukraine,” Macron said ahead of next week’s EU summit, which will consider the application and is expected to impose conditions on Kyiv, including improving the rule of law. and the fight against corruption.
Macron also promised to continue sending weapons in support of Ukraine’s military efforts and announced the addition of six more Caesar howitzers to the 12 already proposed. EU leaders also called on Russia to end its blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports to allow exports of grain needed to ease the global food crisis.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said Zelensky understood that “the road from [EU] candidate for membership is a path, not a point. This is a path that will have to see profound reforms in Ukrainian society. “
He added: “Every day, the Ukrainian people defend the values of democracy and freedom that underpin the European project. We cannot postpone this process. We need to create a community that unites Kyiv with Rome, Paris, Berlin and all the other countries that share this project.
German Olaf Scholz also stressed the importance of Ukraine meeting the membership criteria, saying the EU must at the same time open its doors to the Western Balkans. He and his EU colleagues, he said, came to Kyiv with “a clear message. . . that Ukraine belongs to the European family. ”
Romanian President Klaus Johannes also traveled by train from Poland to Kyiv. The day before, he hosted Macron, who was traveling to Romania to visit French troops stationed for NATO.
EU leaders at the Mariinsky Palace in Kyiv. Seated around the table, left: Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and Romanian President Klaus Johannes © Ludovic Marin / Pool / AFP / Getty Images
Zelensky welcomed the promises of his visitors, saying Ukraine’s accession to the EU could “historically strengthen Europe” and insisted on the need for additional weapons from the West.
“We expect additional supplies, mostly heavy weapons, modern multiple rocket launchers, missile defense systems,” he said. “Every batch of such supplies saves the lives of Ukrainians. And every day of delaying or postponing such decisions gives Russian soldiers a chance to kill Ukrainians or the opportunity to destroy our cities.
“The sooner we get such a weapon, the sooner we can liberate our lands,” Zelenski said. Russia does not want peace.
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Western arms supplies to Ukraine were “useless” and would do further damage to the country.
The European Commission is expected to recommend on Friday that Ukraine receive EU candidate status, a first step towards membership.
Soon after European leaders reached the capital, air raid sirens sounded in the city and Ukraine, warning of possible missile strikes.
Russia’s armed forces have carried out almost daily missile strikes on Ukrainian military sites and infrastructure since President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of the country on February 24.
Scholz said he had invited Zelenski to attend a summit of G7 leaders later this month in Bavaria.
The damage in Irpin said “much about the brutality of Russia’s aggression war, which involves destruction and conquest,” he said. “The devastation we saw here. . . it must be a warning to us to act. “
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The visit comes as the leaders of the eurozone’s three largest economies have been accused by some in Kyiv, the Baltic states and Poland of being too responsive to Russia – accusations denied by Paris, Berlin and Rome.
Prior to his trip to Kyiv, Macron, who was criticized for calling on allies not to “humiliate” Russia, insisted he was in constant contact with Zelensky about the war and reminded NATO allies that “we are not at war with Russia.”
“The only desired way out of the conflict is either a Ukrainian military victory or negotiations at some point, because there will be a ceasefire, which could allow an agreement between Ukraine and Russia,” he said on Wednesday.
US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that the United States would provide an additional $ 1 billion in security assistance to Kyiv, including artillery, coastal defense and advanced missile systems.
Additional reports by Amy Casmin in Rome
Video: Vladimir Zelensky: “No one is humiliating Ukraine. they kill us’
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