[ODUNEWS] June 16 – KYIV (AFP) — The leaders of France, Germany and Italy visited Kyiv on Thursday in a show of European support for Ukraine, as Russia presses its brutal offensive in the east of the country.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi arrived in the Ukrainian capital by train from Poland, according to an AFP reporter travelling with them.
Asked by a journalist why he had come to Ukraine, Macron said: “For a message of European unity.”
Scholz told German daily Bild that they “want to show not only solidarity, but also assure that the help that we’re organizing — financial, humanitarian, but also, when it comes to weapons — will continue.”
“And that we will continue it as long as it is necessary for Ukraine’s fight” against Moscow, he said.
They are due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, at a time when Kyiv is pushing to be given official candidate status to join the EU.
France — which holds the rotating presidency of the EU until the end of this month — Germany and Italy view Ukraine’s aspirations to join the bloc favorably.
Biden said that he told Zelensky in a phone call Wednesday that “the United States will stand by Ukraine as it defends its democracy and support its sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of unprovoked Russian aggression.”
“The bravery, resilience, and determination of the Ukrainian people continues to inspire the world.”
Fighting in eastern Ukraine is focused on the industrial city of Severodonetsk, and the Russians appear close to consolidating control after weeks of intense battles.
Sergiy Gaiday — the governor of the Luhansk region, which includes the city — said Thursday around 10,000 civilians remain trapped in the city, out of a prewar population of some 100,000.
Kyiv’s army is “holding back the enemy as much as possible,” he said on Telegram. “For almost four months they have dreamt of controlling Severodonetsk… and they do not count the victims.”
Moscow’s forces have destroyed the three bridges spanning a river between the city and Lysychansk.
Hundreds of civilians are trapped in a Severodonetsk chemical plant, which is under constant bombardment, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Russia said Ukrainian authorities had on Wednesday prevented an attempt at evacuating them.
