The night train carrying French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi arrived in kyiv on Thursday morning June 16.
The three leaders’ move comes amid criticism of their reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with kyiv blaming them for being too slow to deliver weapons and putting their own prosperity ahead of freedom and security from Ukraine.
According to the press pool, the three leaders boarded a special train chartered by the Ukrainians.
After getting into their respective carriages, they met shortly after the train’s departure in the lounge area of Emmanuel Macron’s carriage to stall their discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, still according to the press pool.
The Elysée explains that this visit must make it possible to find “a balance between the natural aspirations of Ukraine to the European Union (…) and the fact that we must not destabilize the European Union nor fracture it” .
“It’s a message of unity to Ukrainians”
When he got off the train, Emmanuel Macron said this Thursday, June 16: “This is a message of unity to Ukrainians.”
“We are present, focused. We will find President Zelensky to go to a site where massacres have been committed and then we will conduct an interview with President Zelensky”.
Before adding: “It is a message of unity, of support for Ukrainians and Ukrainians”. “I think this is an important moment.”
A press conference is organized this Thursday, June 16 at 2 p.m. with President Zelensky.
Pressure for negotiation?
Oleksi Arestovitch, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, told German newspaper Bild this week that he feared the three leaders would pressure kyiv to accept a peace deal favorable to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During a visit to Romania, Emmanuel Macron defended himself on Wednesday June 15 from any “complacency” towards Russia and considered it important to send “clear signals” to Ukraine, while stressing that it would be necessary “at some point” negotiate with Moscow to end the war.
kyiv had castigated Emmanuel Macron’s call in early June not to “humiliate” Russia in an attempt to end the war in Ukraine through diplomatic means.
