Scholz, Macron and Draghi on a solidarity visit to Kyiv

Created: 06/16/2022Updated: 06/16/2022, 08:40

Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi (lr), French President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Olav Scholz (SPD) are sitting on a train on their way to Kyiv.

The three heads of government arrived in the country at war with Russia this morning.

© Michael Fischer/dpa

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.

Kyiv – Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi arrived in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Thursday morning in a special train.

There they want to talk to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about further support for the country attacked by 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.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is said to have joined the tour group in Kiev, but he wanted to take a different route.

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 if, then it's always about very concrete 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.

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.

dpa