LIVE – War in Ukraine: follow Emmanuel Macron’s visit to kyiv – France Bleu

For the first time since the start of the war in Ukraine triggered by Russia, Emmanuel Macron is in kyiv on Thursday. The President of the Republic is accompanied by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. The three European leaders will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and visit a war site where massacres have been committed. Emmanuel Macron is in kyiv for the first time since the start of the war The French president is accompanied by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz The three European leaders were joined by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis On the program : a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and a visit to Irpin, a city heavily affected by the destruction and atrocities committed by Russian forces The question of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union will be at the heart of this visit 2:34 p.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has “accepted an invitation” from Olaf Scholz to participate in the next G7 summit in Bavaria at the end of June. The German chancellor did not specify whether the Ukrainian president, who has not left his country since the Russian invasion on February 24, would make the trip to Bavaria or intervene by videoconference. 1:35 p.m .: Guest of the program Ma France on France Bleu, Jean-Luc Mélenchon reacted to Emmanuel Macron’s trip to Ukraine. He made a point of welcoming this initiative of the French president: “I start first by associating myself with his (Emmanuel Macron) message of solidarity with Ukraine”. The leader of Nupes indicated that he found “although the President of the French Republic publicly and spectacularly recalls which side the French are on, all without exception”. To view this Twitter content, you must accept Social Network cookies. These cookies allow you to share or react directly on the social networks to which you are connected or to integrate content originally posted on these social networks. They also allow social networks to use your visits to our sites and applications for the purposes of personalization and advertising targeting. I authorize Manage my choices Jean-Luc Mélenchon did not wish to comment further on this visit to kyiv, considering that President Macron was “abroad, in a war zone, I propose that we avoid too many controversies ” and that it was “not quite the time”. Recalling previous trips by presidents to war zones, Jean-Luc Mélenchon hopes that that of Emmanuel Macron can be useful. “What is important is that he went to an area where it is important to show solidarity, he added, because it is war crimes to bomb entire areas without any military reason, the Russian army behaved absolutely barbaric, the term is quite appropriate”. 1:20 p.m.: TF1 announces that Emmanuel Macron will be the guest of the 8 p.m. television news in duplex kyiv, this Thursday evening. To view this Twitter content, you must accept Social Network cookies. These cookies allow you to share or react directly on the social networks to which you are connected or to integrate content originally posted on these social networks. They also allow social networks to use your visits to our sites and applications for the purposes of personalization and advertising targeting. I authorize Manage my choices 1:06 p.m.: Moscow reacted to this visit by four European heads of state, including Emmanuel Macron. “One would like to hope that the leaders of these three countries… are not going to focus only on supporting Ukraine and plans to continue to inundate it with weapons. It is utterly futile and does not will only inflict more harm on this country,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He added “hope they will urge (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky to have a realistic approach to the situation”. For his part, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev mocked in English on twitter the visit of the three European leaders, calling them “a connoisseur of frogs, that of sausages and that of pasta”. To view this Twitter content, you must accept Social Network cookies. These cookies allow you to share or react directly on the social networks to which you are connected or to integrate content originally posted on these social networks. They also allow social networks to use your visits to our sites and applications for the purposes of personalization and advertising targeting. I authorize Managing my choices 12:45 p.m.: Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Emmanuel Macron to kyiv as president. With Mario Draghi, Olaf Scholz and Klaus Iohannis, they will discuss the situation in Ukraine and will hold a press conference around 3 p.m. From left to right: Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor, Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelensky, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Klaus Iohannis, President of Romania © AFP – KAY NIETFELD / DPA Volodymyr Zelensky receives Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron as President in kyiv © AFP – Ludovic MARIN 11:56 a.m.: Emmanuel Macron and his European counterparts headed back to kyiv to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky. 11:33 a.m .: At the end of this visit to Irpin, Emmanuel Macron spoke again to declare: “Ukraine must be able to resist and win”. The Head of State added that France and Europe will continue to support Ukraine, “in all its forms”. Asked by journalists about the statements in which he said that Russia should not be “humiliated”, much criticized in Ukraine, Emmanuel Macron defended himself. “France has been alongside Ukraine since day one” (…) we are alongside the Ukrainians without ambiguity,” he said. “There is also political support, that’s what what we wanted to do by coming here as a four, to both realize and show our respect and admiration for the courage of Ukrainian men and women and to be able to have this exchange with President Zelensky and talk about what’s next. ” Emmanuel Macron in the streets of Irpin, in the suburbs of kyiv © AFP – Ludovic MARIN 11:20 a.m.: Visiting Irpin, Emmanuel Macron praised the “heroism” of the Ukrainians. Russian invasion in this city on the outskirts of kyiv, the President of the Republic declared: “We have all seen these images of a devastated city, which is both a heroic city since it is here, among other things, that the Ukrainians stopped the Russian army which was descending on kyiv. So you have to imagine the heroism of the army, but also of the Ukrainian population”. Emmanuel Macron in the streets of Irpin, a city on the outskirts of kyiv © AFP – Ludovic MARIN 10:25 am: Emmanuel Macron and his European counterparts arrived in Irpin, a suburb of kyiv, a city that has become a symbol of the destruction and atrocities committed during the occupation of the region by the Russian army in March.European leaders, joined by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, are guided by Ukrainian soldiers, with a large security force and many journalists. 9:22 a.m.: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has pledged to help Ukraine “as long as it takes”. was not only intended to “show our solidarity, we also want to ensure that the aid we are organizing: financial, humanitarian, but also when it comes to weapons, will continue”, he underlined. “We will pursue it as long as necessary for the fight for the independence of Ukraine,” he added. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz getting off the train in kyiv © AFP – KAY NIETFELD / DPA 8:40 a.m.: Emmanuel Macron arrived in kyiv. When he got off the train, the President of the Republic said he had come “to carry a message of European unity”. “We are present, focused, we are going to find President Zelensky to go to a war site where massacres have been committed and then to be able to conduct the interviews which are planned with President Zelensky”, he added. “I think this is an important moment.” The Head of State sends a “message of European unity to Ukrainian men and women and support to talk about both the present and the future, because the coming weeks will be very difficult”. 7:58 am: Emmanuel Macron, Mario Draghi and Olaf Scholz will be joined by Klaus Iohannis, the President of Romania. All four will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. European leaders will reiterate their support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. While the United States has announced the release of new aid of one billion dollars, Emmanuel Macron and his counterparts could also announce new European aid, as well as new arms deliveries. A press conference is scheduled for early afternoon at the presidential palace in kyiv. 7:45 am: On Wednesday, Emmanuel Macron sent signals to kyiv by visiting a NATO base in Romania. “I think we are at a time when we need to send clear political signals, we European Union, with regard to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in a context where they have been resisting heroically for several months” , said the French president. The long-awaited visit by Kyiv comes on the eve of a long-awaited recommendation from the European Commission on whether or not to grant Ukraine candidate country status for EU membership. Emmanuel Macron, surrounded by Mario Draghi (left) and Olaf Scholz on board the special train bound for kyiv © AFP – Ludovic Marin 7:26 a.m.: A highly anticipated trip from Emmanuel Macron. In particular because the subjects of disagreement with his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky have multiplied in recent weeks. Firstly, the question of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, which is central for kyiv. In early May, Emmanuel Macron made a surprise announcement to the European Parliament: the creation of a “European political community”, a structure parallel to the classic system of EU membership. For Volodymyr Zelensky, it is clear: France kicks in touch on the accession of his country to the group of 27. Emmanuel Macron has always assured him that the file would be studied. Another subject of annoyance: certain words of the French president with regard to Moscow, in particular this sentence, “we must not humiliate Russia”, pronounced a few days ago. 7:18 a.m.: Emmanuel Macron and his counterparts travel aboard a sleeper train of the Ukrainian railway company. This train departed from the Polish border in Rzeszów overnight from Wednesday to Thursday at midnight local time. The three European leaders traveled 600 kilometers for more than 9 hours to cross half of Ukraine, a country at war. They took advantage of the night until 2:30 a.m. to talk about the objectives of the visit in a small private lounge on the train, according to the journalist from France inter present on board the train. 7:00 am: Hello and welcome to this live. After a visit to Romania and Moldova, Emmanuel Macron is going to Ukraine this Thursday. The French President, accompanied by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, boarded a sleeper train in Poland bound for kyiv overnight.