Emmanuel Macron was received by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this Thursday, June 16, in kyiv. A trip made alongside the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the President of the Italian Council, Mario Draghi. After exchanges between the Heads of State, a press conference was organised.
Ukraine soon in the European Union? This Thursday during a press conference organized in kyiv, France, Germany, Italy and Romania came out in favor of an “immediate” candidate status for Ukraine.
“Today, the most important message of our visit is that Italy wants Ukraine in the European Union,” said Italian Mario Draghi.
“This status will be accompanied by a roadmap and will also involve taking into account the situation in the Balkans and the neighborhood, in particular Moldova,” said Emmanuel Macron.
“The whole of Ukraine aspires to integrate Europe,” Volodymyr Zelensky had indicated in the preamble, who therefore sees this objective getting closer.
The European Commission is due to make known on Friday its recommendation on Ukraine’s application for membership, filed last February by Volodimir Zelensky a few days after the start of the Russian invasion, but which arouses the reluctance of certain Member States. The Commission’s opinion will then be debated at the European Council on 23 and 24 June.
New weapons delivered by France
During the press conference, Emmanuel Macron, who hammered home his “clear support for Ukraine”, also announced the delivery of new weapons to kyiv. “Beyond the 12 Caesars already delivered, I made the decision to deliver six additional Caesars,” he said. These are self-propelled guns renowned for their accuracy.
“Today it is clearly on Ukrainian soil that the security of the European continent as a whole is at stake”, then justified the President of the Republic.
Fight against war crimes
“We will also continue and strengthen our action so that war crimes do not go unpunished”, also declared Emmanuel Macron. “In the face of sham trials that recall the darkest hours of our history, we will impose respect for the law.”
By his voice, France has committed itself to the “next supply of a mobile DNA analysis laboratory”, in order to shed light on these war crimes.
Full press conference
LIVE | In kyiv, in solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Follow the President’s press conference @EmmanuelMacron alongside President Zelensky, with our German, Italian and Romanian partners.
https://t.co/WIR8VSplUK— Elysee (@Elysee) June 16, 2022
