Nicolas Tonev, edited by Thibauylt Nadal
modified to
8:22 p.m., June 16, 2022
It is an exceptional image: four European leaders together in kyiv. Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis traveled to the capital of Ukraine on Thursday to show their understanding and support for the Ukrainian people and Volodymyr Zelensky.
A visit tinged with symbols
This visit was strong in symbols. First there were those handshakes in front of the impressive presidential palace in kyiv, in recognition of the legitimacy of Volodymyr Zelensky. Then this strong contrast between heads of state who come in costume and a Ukrainian president who appears in a khaki warrior T-shirt. Finally, it shows the image of a Europe aligned alongside Volodymyr Zelensky, with the presence of Emmanuel Macron, while France chairs the Council of the EU until June 30.
The Heads of State submitted concrete proposals to the Ukrainian President, including an invitation to the next G7 summit and immediate support for entry into the European Union. “All four of us support the status of immediate candidate for membership of the European Union for Ukraine”, explained Emmanuel Macron. Tomorrow, the European Commission will set the framework for the discussion and major decisions will be taken next week in Brussels by the Council. It is a strong, rapid, long-awaited gesture of hope and clarity that we want to send to Ukraine and its people”, launched the French president.
Also, Emmanuel Macron promised the delivery of six additional Caesar cannons, which will bring the total number of this type of cannon sent to Ukraine to 18.
Ukrainians have mixed feelings about Europe
Emmanuel Macron who, with the other European leaders, wanted to see the consequences of this war up close, particularly in the town of Irpin. A gesture that was very important for the Ukrainians, because there is the feeling that on the one hand the United States recognizes the extreme violence of this war and consequently helps the country, but on the other that Europe does not measure what is happening in the country is not fully measured and therefore the aid is not sufficient.
Macron meets with those in charge of the war crimes investigation
This is why it was important for kyiv to show Irpin, this city which resisted without weakening in spite of Russian pressure, and more particularly this strictly civilian district eroded by the bombardments. “The Ukrainians stopped the Russian army which was descending on kyiv and therefore you have to imagine the heroism of the army, but also of the Ukrainian population. Alongside this, you also have the traces, the stigmata of barbarism You are gathered here on a site which was destroyed or massacres were perpetrated where we had the first traces of what these are war crimes”, declared in a deep voice Emmanuel Macron.
An important subject that the French president holds in high esteem. After an exchange with the Ukrainian press, he went to the French Embassy to meet the gendarmes of the Criminal Research Institute of the National Gendarmerie (IRCGN) deployed to contribute to investigations into war crimes committed, in coordination with the Ukrainian authorities and the International Criminal Court.