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Olaf Scholz, Federal Chancellor
"My colleagues and I came to Kiev today with a clear message: Ukraine is part of the European family."
During his long-awaited visit to Ukraine, Olaf Scholz campaigned for the country to be granted EU candidate status for the first time.
French President Emmanuel Macron had previously spoken out in favor of it.
It was probably the most important news of the solidarity visit on the 113th day of the Ukraine war, which was also attended by Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Romania's President Klaus Johannis.
A few hours before: After weeks of waiting, the Chancellor gets on the train and travels to Kyiv together with Emmanuel Macron and Mario Draghi.
Emmanuel Macron, President of France:
»Our message to the Ukrainians: Europe is united in its support - in the present and in the future.
The coming weeks will be very difficult weeks.«
Words of solidarity, but what concrete offers of help would the politicians of Ukraine make?
The expectations of the visit were huge.
The first stop: the Kiev suburb of Irpin, where, like in neighboring Bucha, executed civilians were found after the Russian troops retreated.
Olaf Scholz, Federal Chancellor:
“The devastation caused by this war is terrible.
It's even worse when you see how terribly senseless the violence we're seeing here is.
Innocent civilians have been affected, houses have been destroyed, an entire city has been destroyed without any military infrastructure at all.
And that says a lot about the brutality of Russia's war of aggression, which is simply out for destruction and conquest, and that's what we have to bear in mind in everything we have in mind.
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It is a terrible war and Russia is pushing it forward with the greatest brutality without regard to human life, and that is also what has to come to an end with all the activities that we are undertaking, with our aid options that we have mobilized, but also with the sanctions. And everything together should help ensure that international solidarity creates opportunities for Ukrainian citizens to rebuild their country.«
The four then met Volodymyr Zelensky in the Presidential Palace in Kyiv.
In the conversation, he pushed for a seventh package of sanctions, which should include a gas embargo.
At the afternoon press conference, President Macron promised Ukraine to send six additional howitzers.
Scholz assured Ukraine of further arms deliveries, but made no new concrete commitments.
President Selenskyj thanked him for the air defense systems delivered so far.
The EU accession status of Ukraine and Moldova is expected to be decided at the EU summit on June 23rd and 24th in Brussels.
The decision must be taken unanimously.