Kyiv: Britain will host talks on rebuilding key infrastructure in Kyiv on Friday, a day after leaders from Germany, France and Italy visited. Ukraine and offered it the hope of EU membership as it fights a brutal Russian invasion to the east.
Air raid sirens sounded as French President Emmanuel long sign on english vowelof germany Olaf Scholzo and Mario Draghi of Italy visits the capital of Ukraine and sees a nearby town ruined at the start of the war.
after talking to the president Volodymyr ZelenskyThe leaders indicated that Ukraine should be granted EU candidate status, a symbolic gesture that would bring Kyiv closer to the economic bloc.
Scholz said Germany has taken 800,000 Ukrainian refugees with it and will continue to support Ukraine as long as it is needed.
“Ukraine belongs to the European family,” he said.
Britain will welcome Ukrainian representatives and business leaders on Friday to discuss how British companies can help rebuild key infrastructure in Kyiv.
Britain will promote cooperation between its companies and Ukrainian public and private organizations in infrastructure, energy and transport to help repair damaged and destroyed infrastructure.
On the battlefield, Ukrainian officials said their troops were up against a massive Russian bombardment in the eastern city of Svyarodonetsk, and described new advances in a counteroffensive in the south.
But he said fighting on both main fronts depends on receiving more aid from the West, especially in artillery to counter Russia’s large gains in firepower.
“We appreciate the support already provided by the partners, we look forward to new deliveries, mainly heavy weapons, modern rocket artillery, anti-missile defense,” Zelensky said after talks with his European counterparts on Thursday. system.”
Macron said France would accelerate arms supplies to Kyiv, while NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels promised more weapons for Ukraine, while plans to strengthen the eastern side of the US-led military alliance was making
It took weeks to organize a visit to Ukraine by three of the most powerful EU leaders, while facing criticism over positions they described as too respectful for the Russian president. Vladimir Putin,
Leaders joined by Romanian President Klaus Iohannes visited Irpin, devastated soon after the invasion began on 24 February.
Macron noted the graffiti on one wall with “Make Europe, not war” written on it, saying: “It’s so exciting to see. It’s the right message.”
Putin has repeatedly stated that the main immediate cause of what he described as a “special military operation” was to protect Russian-speaking people from persecution and assault in eastern Ukraine.
Scholz, Macron and Draghi all say they are strong supporters of Ukraine that has taken practical steps to reduce Europe’s reliance on Russian energy and find weapons to help Kyiv.
But Ukraine has long criticized Scholz for what it regards as Germany’s slow delivery of weapons and its reluctance to sever economic ties with Moscow, and for saying in an interview at Macron this month that Russia should Should not be “humiliated”.
Italy has also proposed a peace plan that Ukrainians fear could be pressured to leave the region. After talks in Kyiv, Macron said there was still a need for some kind of communication channel with Putin.
To the south, Ukraine maintains that its forces are infiltrating the Kherson province, which Russia occupied at the beginning of its offensive. There has been little independent reporting to confirm the status of the battlefield in the area.
Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, wrote on Twitter that he had visited an area about 3 to 4 km (about 2 mi) from Russian positions, where dozens of “ghost villages” had been removed from the war. .
“Our men on the ground – the mood is fighting. Even with limited resources, we are pushing the enemy back. One thing is missing – long-range weapons. In any case, we will throw them out from the south,” he wrote .
The main fighting in recent weeks has taken place in the eastern city of Svyarodonetsk, where Ukrainian forces are hiding in a chemical factory with hundreds of civilians.
“Every day it becomes more and more difficult because the Russians are drawing more and more weapons into the city,” said Svyarodonetsk mayor. alexander streak Told.
On Thursday, an airstrike hit a building harboring civilians in Lisichansk across the river, killing at least four people and injuring seven, the regional governor said. Serhiya Gaidai Told.
Meanwhile, the Dutch intelligence service said it had uncovered an elaborate Russian conspiracy to hire a military agent using a false Brazilian identity at the International Criminal Court, which is investigating suspected war crimes.
“It was a long-term, multi-year GRU operation that cost a lot of time, energy and money,” the head of the Dutch intelligence agency said. Eric Akerboom, using the acronym for Military Intelligence Service of Russia. There was no comment from the Russian government or the ICC on the matter.
Air raid sirens sounded as French President Emmanuel long sign on english vowelof germany Olaf Scholzo and Mario Draghi of Italy visits the capital of Ukraine and sees a nearby town ruined at the start of the war.
after talking to the president Volodymyr ZelenskyThe leaders indicated that Ukraine should be granted EU candidate status, a symbolic gesture that would bring Kyiv closer to the economic bloc.
Scholz said Germany has taken 800,000 Ukrainian refugees with it and will continue to support Ukraine as long as it is needed.
“Ukraine belongs to the European family,” he said.
Britain will welcome Ukrainian representatives and business leaders on Friday to discuss how British companies can help rebuild key infrastructure in Kyiv.
Britain will promote cooperation between its companies and Ukrainian public and private organizations in infrastructure, energy and transport to help repair damaged and destroyed infrastructure.
On the battlefield, Ukrainian officials said their troops were up against a massive Russian bombardment in the eastern city of Svyarodonetsk, and described new advances in a counteroffensive in the south.
But he said fighting on both main fronts depends on receiving more aid from the West, especially in artillery to counter Russia’s large gains in firepower.
“We appreciate the support already provided by the partners, we look forward to new deliveries, mainly heavy weapons, modern rocket artillery, anti-missile defense,” Zelensky said after talks with his European counterparts on Thursday. system.”
Macron said France would accelerate arms supplies to Kyiv, while NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels promised more weapons for Ukraine, while plans to strengthen the eastern side of the US-led military alliance was making
It took weeks to organize a visit to Ukraine by three of the most powerful EU leaders, while facing criticism over positions they described as too respectful for the Russian president. Vladimir Putin,
Leaders joined by Romanian President Klaus Iohannes visited Irpin, devastated soon after the invasion began on 24 February.
Macron noted the graffiti on one wall with “Make Europe, not war” written on it, saying: “It’s so exciting to see. It’s the right message.”
Putin has repeatedly stated that the main immediate cause of what he described as a “special military operation” was to protect Russian-speaking people from persecution and assault in eastern Ukraine.
Scholz, Macron and Draghi all say they are strong supporters of Ukraine that has taken practical steps to reduce Europe’s reliance on Russian energy and find weapons to help Kyiv.
But Ukraine has long criticized Scholz for what it regards as Germany’s slow delivery of weapons and its reluctance to sever economic ties with Moscow, and for saying in an interview at Macron this month that Russia should Should not be “humiliated”.
Italy has also proposed a peace plan that Ukrainians fear could be pressured to leave the region. After talks in Kyiv, Macron said there was still a need for some kind of communication channel with Putin.
To the south, Ukraine maintains that its forces are infiltrating the Kherson province, which Russia occupied at the beginning of its offensive. There has been little independent reporting to confirm the status of the battlefield in the area.
Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, wrote on Twitter that he had visited an area about 3 to 4 km (about 2 mi) from Russian positions, where dozens of “ghost villages” had been removed from the war. .
“Our men on the ground – the mood is fighting. Even with limited resources, we are pushing the enemy back. One thing is missing – long-range weapons. In any case, we will throw them out from the south,” he wrote .
The main fighting in recent weeks has taken place in the eastern city of Svyarodonetsk, where Ukrainian forces are hiding in a chemical factory with hundreds of civilians.
“Every day it becomes more and more difficult because the Russians are drawing more and more weapons into the city,” said Svyarodonetsk mayor. alexander streak Told.
On Thursday, an airstrike hit a building harboring civilians in Lisichansk across the river, killing at least four people and injuring seven, the regional governor said. Serhiya Gaidai Told.
Meanwhile, the Dutch intelligence service said it had uncovered an elaborate Russian conspiracy to hire a military agent using a false Brazilian identity at the International Criminal Court, which is investigating suspected war crimes.
“It was a long-term, multi-year GRU operation that cost a lot of time, energy and money,” the head of the Dutch intelligence agency said. Eric Akerboom, using the acronym for Military Intelligence Service of Russia. There was no comment from the Russian government or the ICC on the matter.