“A few more visits to the West, then we will launch the counter-offensive”. This is what Volodymyr Zelensky said in Berlin, where he met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the morning. At the heart of the bilateral, the (military) support of Germany. The latter has in fact allocated a further package worth 2.7 billion euros. «It is the second country after the United States for the measure of military aid. With the aid package we have the opportunity to protect ourselves and defend ourselves,” said the Ukrainian president who, during the press conference, announced that the second part of the talks would focus on warplanes. “We are working to form a fighter coalition with the fighters. I will turn to the Germans to ask Germany to be part of it », he announced at the press conference. For Zelensky the leadership of Scholz is fundamental: «With him there is the chance to make the world safer. The more Germany takes on the leadership, the more hope there is for peace», he concluded before leaving Berlin for Aachen to participate in the award ceremony of the Karlspreis, the Charlemagne prize. It was Chancellor Scholz who announced in the morning that after the bilateral in Berlin and the meeting of the Ukrainian president with the security cabinet they would “fly together” to Zelensky in the city of North Rhine-Westphalia. After the stops in Rome and in Germany between Berlin and Aachen, the leader of Kiev – reports France Press – will be in Paris tonight to meet French President Emmanuel Macron.
Von der Leyen: “Alongside Kiev until the impossible”
Also present in the city in North Rhine-Westphalia was the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who reiterated her closeness “to the point of impossibility” towards the invaded country. «With today’s award – said Von der Leyen – we are sending a clear message: we are at the side of the president Volodymyr Zelensky. We are with the Ukrainian people. We stand by their side until, together, we achieve the impossible.” The president of the Commission also specified that the European Union is «firmly by their side. I’m not just talking about the tens of billions of euros in support, the blanket sanctions, or the weapons we have promised and delivered. I am also referring to accompanying Ukraine on its path towards the Union. Ukraine stands up for our values,” she concluded. The comment of the chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is in the same tone, according to which «Ukraine is part of our European family. This was underlined by the French president Emmanuel Macron, the former Italian premier Mario Draghi, the Romanian president Klaus Johannis and myself, a year ago together in Kiev. And we all recognize ourselves in this statement », she concluded during her speech.
Scholz: «Russia must withdraw»
For his part, the German chancellor acknowledges that even if “Ukraine wants peace, the conflict cannot be frozen”. And he reiterates that Russia must first of all withdraw its troops and answer for her acts. In addition to underlining once again that Germany “will support Kiev as long as necessary” and that the aid will continue in the coming years as well. Then solidarity with the Ukrainian people: “Faced with the horror, the blatant injustice, we are ever closer to you”.