Draghi, Macron and Scholz in Kiev from Zelensky. The visit to Irpin

Mario

, Olaf

and Emmanuel

are

for their first visit to

since the beginning of the Russian invasion on 24 February.

The three European leaders at the presidential palace met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"Busy day, important meetings. It is a pleasure to meet President Macron, Chancellor Scholz, Prime Minister Draghi and President Iohanniss in Kiev. We appreciate your solidarity with our country and people": said the Ukrainian president on his Telegram channel by posting photos of the meeting with EU leaders.

Meanwhile, Zelensky accepted Germany's invitation to participate in the next G7, German Chancellor Scholz announced.

THE PRESS CONFERENCE

"The most important message of our visit is that Italy wants Ukraine to join the EU, it wants it to have candidate status and will support this position in the next European Council. Zelensky knows it is a way to go, not just a step. "Draghi said at the press conference in Kiev with the Ukrainian president and other European leaders.

"In Irpin I felt horror and hope, hope for reconstruction and for the future. We are here today for this, to help Ukraine rebuild its future".

"We want peace but Ukraine must defend itself and Ukraine must choose the peace it wants, the one it deems acceptable for its people. Only in this way can it be a lasting peace", added the premier.

"There are two weeks to clear the ports.

The harvest will arrive at the end of September and a series of increasingly urgent deadlines that bring us closer to the drama inexorably.

Safe corridors must be created with the utmost urgency for safe transport of grain and avert a catastrophe. "" The only way is a UN resolution regulating navigation in the Black Sea, Russi has so far rejected it, "he added. Draghi. "We have seen the atrocities committed by Russia in this war in Irpin which we condemn without hesitation.

We give our full support to the investigation into war crimes "committed by the Russians.

The only way is a UN resolution regulating navigation in the Black Sea, Russi has so far rejected it, "added Draghi." We have seen the atrocities committed by Russia in this war in Irpin which we condemn without hesitation.

We give our full support to the investigation into war crimes "committed by the Russians.

The only way is a UN resolution regulating navigation in the Black Sea, Russi has so far rejected it, "added Draghi." We have seen the atrocities committed by Russia in this war in Irpin which we condemn without hesitation.

We give our full support to the investigation into war crimes "committed by the Russians.

"We are here to bring unconditional support to the Ukrainian people. A people who have made an army to repel the aggression of Russia and live in freedom. And Europe must have the same courage that Zelensky had," added Draghi.

"The EU has shown and demonstrates today an extraordinary unity to support Ukraine in every way. Governments, parliaments and citizens have done so. I want to recall the great solidarity shown by Italians and all Europeans to welcome those who ran away from bombing ".

"Today is a historic day for Europe", added Draghi.

"Today's visit, together with those of many other European leaders who came to Kiev in recent weeks - said Draghi - unequivocally confirms our support, that of

"Dear friends, we appreciate that you are with us today, just on the eve of important international events for all of us and for Europe. And I am very grateful that the visit has started in Irpin to see what the Russian invaders have done. Our strength is unity ": so

in the press conference in Kiev with EU leaders, speaking of Ukraine's need for "heavy and modern weapons": "We need help. Every weapon is a human life saved. Each extension increases the possibility for Russians to kill Ukrainians and destroy our cities ".

"We must arrive at a common position on support for our integration into the EU. Candidate status for Ukraine can strengthen freedom in Europe and become the most important decision of the third decade of the 21st century. We understand that the road to the 'The EU is not a single step, but this path must begin. The Ukrainians are ready to continue along this path to become a candidate state ".

"I believe that today Macron and the other Draghi colleagues,

Scholz and Iohannis are all here to openly support candidate status, Zelensky said.

The chancellor stressed that it all depends on a common decision, so I hope the 27 are capable.

But here are 4 large EU countries that are on our side.

It is a historic achievement ".  

"We are not at war with the Russian people as a collective, we have continued to speak with the Russian leader, but we have always informed Zelensky. The modalities of peace will only be decided by Ukraine and their representatives. France and Germany will never negotiate with Russia behind Ukraine, "French President Emmanuel Macron said in Kiev.

In speaking with Moscow "we bring our needs as European forces (and France as a member of the UN Council), but never to negotiate in his place".

"Ukraine is part of Europe. This war will change the history of Europe. We are alongside Ukraine to accompany it in this perspective.

We confirmed to Zelensky that tomorrow the commission will decide the framework and the next European Council will take decisions - added Macron -.

All 4 of our countries will support Ukraine's candidate status.

In the next few days we will build the unanimity of the 27 ". Macron finished his speech by saying in Ukrainian:" Slava Ukraini ", glory to Ukraine.

"We have come to send a message of European unity to all Ukrainian citizens. A message of support because the next few weeks will be very difficult", said the French president as he got off the train that took him from Poland to Kiev, "in a place of war where massacres were committed ".

Air-raid warning sirens sounded in the Ukrainian capital during the visit of the three leaders, at the time they were in a hotel in the center on a break from the visit.

Sirens have been almost daily in Kiev since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The alarm ended after about thirty minutes. 

THE WORDS OF DRAGONS

"The impression is that these deadlines" on the collection and distribution of wheat "are approaching and the tragedy of world famine, concentrated in the poorest countries, especially in Africa, is approaching", said Prime Minister Mario Draghi in Kiev. i meeting the Italian press.

"Today there were no requests from Zelensky for new weapons. He described the situation as it is, a situation that is becoming critical. Because Soviet weapons are running out of ammunition and new weapons need training. The various NATO countries provide this. training but it takes time ".

"We have reached 52% of gas storage levels, which makes us quite calm for now and for the winter," he added.

The reasons for the cuts in gas supplies, "

that affect all European countries, we are told that they are technical, tied to maintenance parts that do not arrive due to the sanctions, but we, like Germany, believe that they are lies: in reality there is a use politician of gas, as well as of wheat "." The conditions that the Ukrainians place today is territorial integrity - said Draghi -.

This is the prerequisite for starting peace negotiations on the Ukrainian side.

At the moment there are no margins, but there is an attitude that has changed a lot in recent weeks ", also" of the other countries that must help them find peace.

There is a global diplomatic initiative that wasn't there a month ago ".

linked to maintenance parts that do not arrive due to sanctions, but we, like Germany, believe that they are lies: in reality there is a political use of gas, as well as of grain "." The conditions that the Ukrainians place today it is territorial integrity - said Draghi -.

This is the prerequisite for starting peace negotiations on the Ukrainian side.

At the moment there are no margins, but there is an attitude that has changed a lot in recent weeks ", also" of the other countries that must help them find peace.

There is a global diplomatic initiative that wasn't there a month ago ".

linked to maintenance parts that do not arrive due to sanctions, but we, like Germany, believe that they are lies: in reality there is a political use of gas, as well as of grain "." The conditions that the Ukrainians place today it is territorial integrity - said Draghi -.

This is the prerequisite for starting peace negotiations on the Ukrainian side.

At the moment there are no margins, but there is an attitude that has changed a lot in recent weeks ", also" of the other countries that must help them find peace.

There is a global diplomatic initiative that wasn't there a month ago ".

territorial integrity - said Draghi -.

This is the prerequisite for starting peace negotiations on the Ukrainian side.

At the moment there are no margins, but there is an attitude that has changed a lot in recent weeks ", also" of the other countries that must help them find peace.

There is a global diplomatic initiative that wasn't there a month ago ".

territorial integrity - said Draghi -.

This is the prerequisite for starting peace negotiations on the Ukrainian side.

At the moment there are no margins, but there is an attitude that has changed a lot in recent weeks ", also" of the other countries that must help them find peace.

There is a global diplomatic initiative that wasn't there a month ago ".

VISIT TO IRPIN

Macron, Draghi and Scholz also went

"where murders took place", said the French president.

The Italian prime minister Mario Draghi in Irpin stopped in front of bombed buildings: "

", he told local authorities. Draghi was received by the mayor of Irpin Oleh Bondar and by the head of the Kiev regional military administration Oleksiy Kuleba. Here the Russians" destroyed the kindergartens and kindergartens.

Everything will be rebuilt.

They have already started.

They are already at a very advanced stage of evaluation ", Draghi told reporters on the sidelines of the visit to Irpin. To those who asked him if it will take a Marshall plan, Draghi replied:" We'll talk about it later. "Immediately after, he was joined by Scholz and Macron and together they toured a block of buildings blackened by bombs and flames. "All this must be seen and known.

I am grateful "for the testimony." Unfortunately there have been massacres perpetrated in Bucha and in other cities, they are war crimes ",

Macron said.

"Ukraine needs more effective defense weapons" to defend itself from the Russian invasion, he added, hailing the "heroism" of the Ukrainians.

"We need Ukraine to be able to resist and win" the war, Macron said.

Chancellor Scholz pledged to help Ukraine "for as long as necessary," he said in an interview with the Bild newspaper.

During this visit to Kiev - he said - "we do not want only to show our solidarity, but also to ensure that the aid we organize: financial, humanitarian, but also as regards weapons, continues".

"We will continue as long as necessary for the struggle for Ukraine's independence."

ANSA.it

Draghi-Macron-Scholz in Ukraine: the day in pictures

The three leaders for the first time in the country since 24 February

The Kremlin defines Western arms supplies as "useless" while the three European leaders Draghi, Macron and Scholz are in Kiev to discuss with Ukrainian President Zelensky also the need for new weapons to support Ukraine against the Russian invasion.

On board the Ukrainian train that took them to Kiev, the three European leaders had a meeting lasting about two hours: they met in a carriage immediately after the convoy's departure last night, in view of the meeting with Zelensky.

The aim of the visit is to bring "a message of unity and full cohesion of the EU countries" in condemning Russia and helping Ukraine.

"Today's visit is not only symbolic, but politically crucial in view of what we will decide next week" on Ukraine's candidacy, said the president of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola in response to a question about Draghi's mission to Kiev, Macron and Scholz during a press conference from Prague.

"There are always several steps" in the accession process but "we would really disappoint not only the Ukrainians but ourselves and our Union if we closed the door to this brave people", explained Metsola, in Prague on the visit of the Czech presidency of the 'EU.

It is a mission

: the leaders of the three main EU countries all together, face to face with Volodymyr Zelensky.

To demonstrate European compactness, and perhaps to indicate a line that is not necessarily identical to that of the Americans.

On the eve of the mission, it was the head of the Elysée who cleared away more clearly from Washington's intransigence towards the Kremlin: "The Ukrainian president and his officials will have to negotiate with Russia - underlined by Romania -, we will do everything to stop Russian forces and help Ukrainians and their army. "

The trip to Ukraine of the three leaders falls into a very complicated phase, because on the ground the Russian army continues to gain ground by intensifying firepower on the Donbass,

ANSA agency

Kiev, 10 thousand civilians remained in Severodonetsk under the bombs

Gaidai, resumed the Russian assault on the city this morning