German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has embarked on a train journey to Kiev with French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. This is reported by various media, as with previous visits, it is not expected that under the war conditions the trip will be officially confirmed before the three politicians have arrived safely.
As the Italian news agency ANSA reported, the three top politicians used their train journey for a two-hour summit on Thursday evening. The purpose of the visit is to convey “a message of unity and full cohesion among EU countries” to Ukraine.
Scholz: not just “in and out”
Numerous EU leaders, including Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP), have already visited the Russian-invaded country. For Scholz, Macron and Draghi, however, it is the first visit. The German chancellor was under enormous domestic pressure to travel to Ukraine. He did emphasize that it was all about the content. “I am not going to join a group of people who quickly get in and out with a photo. But when, then it is always about very concrete things,” emphasizes Scholz, who also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the G7 at the end of June. summit in Upper Bavaria.
The trip will take place a day before the expected European Commission recommendation on Ukraine’s application for membership. The Brussels authority is expected to propose to grant Ukraine EU candidate status. An EU summit will be held in Brussels next week to decide. More than three months after the war broke out, EU countries are struggling to maintain their unity against the aggressor Russia. However, in late May, after weeks of bickering, agreement was reached on a sixth package of sanctions, including an oil embargo.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
