French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi have arrived in Kyiv to hold talks with
President Volodymyr Zelensky to show their backing for Ukraine.
The three EU leaders took the night train from Poland to Kyiv in a move that
follows criticisms from Ukraine over their response to the war.
"It's an important moment. It's a message of unity we're sending to the Ukrainians,
" Reuters reported Macron as saying when he arrived in Kyiv.
Asked why the visit was taking place now, an Elysee official said the leaders thought
it was best to do it just before an EU summit that is due to discuss Ukraine's bid
to join the European Union.
Scholz has come under attack for not sending Ukraine enough weapons but
the country's ambassador to Berlin, Andrij Melnyk, said he expected Scholz to
make a commitment on heavy weapons that had been long promised but
not yet delivered.
Scholz has dismissed criticisms that he has held back on military support,
responding by saying that Germany was one of the biggest military and
financial backers of Ukraine.
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All eyes on what Scholz has to offer Ukraine
Olaf Scholz has set himself a tough task.
The German chancellor had, somewhat defensively, said that he wouldn’t visit
Ukraine simply for a photo opportunity.
So what will he offer? The Ukrainian ambassador to Berlin, long a thorn
in Scholz’s side, is clear, telling a German newspaper this morning that
Kyiv wants heavy weapons from Germany, in particular Leopard and Marder tanks.
Tanks have become a bit of a dirty word in Berlin. Scholz promised artillery,
heavy weaponry to Ukraine, but it's yet to materialise. Germany has sent
other military equipment and aid but, when compared to national GDP,
its financial contributions pale next to those made by the Baltics and Poland.
Ukraine has accused him of trying to balance support for Kyiv with a desire
to maintain a relationship with Russia. It’s a suspicion he’ll need to allay today.
And it’s not just the Ukrainian leadership which will be watching Scholz closely.
Germans too want to know what this leader – who’s earning a reputation as
a bit of a ditherer – is all about.
Prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Scholz claims to have taken his country
into a new era in which defence and the military matter. But beyond pledges
to spend more on the German army, many wonder what he really means.
So, even as he poses for those pictures today, this visit is an opportunity for him
to deliver what he’s long promised - clarity.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi have arrived in Kyiv to hold talks with
President Volodymyr Zelensky to show their backing for Ukraine.
The three EU leaders took the night train from Poland to Kyiv in a move that
follows criticisms from Ukraine over their response to the war.
"It's an important moment. It's a message of unity we're sending to the Ukrainians,
" Reuters reported Macron as saying when he arrived in Kyiv.
Asked why the visit was taking place now, an Elysee official said the leaders thought
it was best to do it just before an EU summit that is due to discuss Ukraine's bid
to join the European Union.
Scholz has come under attack for not sending Ukraine enough weapons but
the country's ambassador to Berlin, Andrij Melnyk, said he expected Scholz to
make a commitment on heavy weapons that had been long promised but
not yet delivered.
Scholz has dismissed criticisms that he has held back on military support,
responding by saying that Germany was one of the biggest military and
financial backers of Ukraine.
***********
All eyes on what Scholz has to offer Ukraine
Olaf Scholz has set himself a tough task.
The German chancellor had, somewhat defensively, said that he wouldn’t visit
Ukraine simply for a photo opportunity.
So what will he offer? The Ukrainian ambassador to Berlin, long a thorn
in Scholz’s side, is clear, telling a German newspaper this morning that
Kyiv wants heavy weapons from Germany, in particular Leopard and Marder tanks.
Tanks have become a bit of a dirty word in Berlin. Scholz promised artillery,
heavy weaponry to Ukraine, but it's yet to materialise. Germany has sent
other military equipment and aid but, when compared to national GDP,
its financial contributions pale next to those made by the Baltics and Poland.
Ukraine has accused him of trying to balance support for Kyiv with a desire
to maintain a relationship with Russia. It’s a suspicion he’ll need to allay today.
And it’s not just the Ukrainian leadership which will be watching Scholz closely.
Germans too want to know what this leader – who’s earning a reputation as
a bit of a ditherer – is all about.
Prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Scholz claims to have taken his country
into a new era in which defence and the military matter. But beyond pledges
to spend more on the German army, many wonder what he really means.
So, even as he poses for those pictures today, this visit is an opportunity for him
to deliver what he’s long promised - clarity.
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