French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi visited the Ukrainian capital Kiev today. European leaders organized this joint visit to speak face-to-face with President Volodymyr Zelenskyi and discuss the future of the country, which has been under attack since February 24.
During his arrival, Macron said that the visit represents “an important moment” and that it sends a “message of unity” to the Ukrainian people. The French leader also claimed that war crimes were committed in the town of Irpin, at the entrance to Kiev. “It’s a heroic city, marked by the stigma of barbarism,” he said.
Like the city of Bucha, Irpin was the target of intense bombing during the Russian army’s occupation in March. The Russians “destroyed kindergartens, playgrounds. We are going to rebuild everything”, said Mario Draghi.
Olaf Scholz said that Germany will help Ukraine resist the German offensive “for as long as it takes”. “We want to ensure that we are organizing financial, humanitarian aid, but also on the issue of weapons,” he told Portugal’s public news agency RTP.
A few hours after the start of the visit by European leaders, Russia announced the reopening of the Severodonetsk humanitarian corridor, especially for civilians trapped in the Azot factory. According to the United Nations (UN), around 500 people are being held there in precarious conditions.
*With information from RTP.
