Finance
The leaders of Germany, France, and Italy, all of whom Kyiv has previously chastised for too cautious support, visited Ukraine on Thursday and offered the prospect of EU membership to a country desperate for weapons to repel Russia’s invasion.
Air raid sirens wailed in Kyiv as French President Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Olaf Scholz, and Italy’s Mario Draghi arrived, with the leaders touring a nearby town destroyed early in the war.
Following discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the leaders indicated that Ukraine should be granted European Union candidate status, a symbolic move that would bring Kyiv closer to the economic bloc.
Scholz stated that Germany had taken in 800,000 Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict and would continue to support Ukraine as long as it needs.
“Ukraine belongs to the European family,” he said.
On the battlefield, Ukrainian officials said their troops were still holding out against massive Russian bombardment in the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk, and that a counteroffensive in the south was making progress.
However, they stated that battles on both main fronts depended on receiving more Western aid, particularly artillery to counter Russia’s significant firepower advantage.
“We appreciate the support already provided by partners, we expect new deliveries, primarily heavy weapons, modern rocket artillery, anti-missile defence systems,” Zelenskiy said after the talks with his European counterparts.
“There is a direct correlation: the more powerful weapons we get, the faster we can liberate our people, our land,” he said.
Macron stated that France would increase arms deliveries to Kiev, while NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels pledged more weapons for Ukraine while planning to strengthen the US-led military alliance’s eastern flank.
“This will mean more NATO forward deployed combat formations… More air, sea and cyber defences, as well as pre-positioned equipment and weapon stockpiles,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement.
Source:HT
