The leaders of three European countries who arrived in Ukraine “behind closed doors” were likely urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to sit down at the negotiating table with Russia. This was written in the German newspaper Die Welt.
Earlier, on June 16, it became known that French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Kyiv.
The publication notes that while in Kyiv, Scholz, Macron and Draghi advocated granting Ukraine the status of a candidate member of the European Union. “In any case, we support the status of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union,” Macron said on behalf of all three.
“In exchange, the heads of state and government “behind closed doors” most likely persuaded Zelensky to sit down at the negotiating table with Russian President Vladimir Putin,” the newspaper writes.
The publication recalls the economic damage suffered by these three countries due to the conflict.
“Economic growth has slowed sharply, and inflation has reached record levels,” notes Die Welt.
In addition, it is noted that Macron clarified his position in the conflict, as in a few weeks he turned “from a high-ranking European diplomat and understanding Zelensky to a cold-blooded pragmatist who, given the economic consequences of the war, seemed more concerned about the end than the integrity of Ukraine.” The newspaper noted that in Kyiv this caused misunderstanding, even disappointment.
The Prime Minister of Italy also touched upon the issue of grain supplies.
“We must release millions of tons of grain that are blocked in the Black Sea ports. Today I learned that the ports must be cleared of mines in two weeks, because the harvest will arrive at the end of September,” he said.
Draghi proposed grain corridors to prevent the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine from escalating into a global catastrophe.
On February 24, Russia announced the start of a special operation to protect Donbass.