German Chancellor Olaf Scholz yesterday visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during which he confirmed that the President of Ukraine would take part in this month’s Group of Seven summit.
In a tweet, Scholz thanked Zelensky for ‘accepting my invitation to participate in the G7 summit’ being held June 26 to 28 in the German Alpine resort of Schloss Elmau.
Zelensky, who is not believed to have left Ukraine since the start of the war on February 24, was expected to join the leaders by video-link.
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Scholz arrived with French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian premier Mario Draghi in Ukraine by train early Thursday and headed to Irpin, scene of fierce battles early in Russia’s invasion.
Scholz called the wreckage he witnessed “terrible” and “senseless”.
‘An entire city in which there was no military infrastructure whatsoever was destroyed,” he told reporters.
‘That tells us a lot about the brutality of the Russian war of aggression which is only aimed at destroying and conquering.”
Scholz pledged ‘international solidarity so the citizens of Ukraine will be able to rebuild their country’.
Emmanuel Macron who is the President of France has refused to take sides in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia while openly insisting that Ukraine and Europe will have to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the ongoing war.
According to the French President, this is the reality of things.
He said that Ukraine and Europe “will have to negotiate” at some point, according to CNN.
‘The only desirable end to the conflict is either a Ukrainian military victory or talks at some point because fighting has stopped, so at some point, we must talk.
‘We Europeans will be around the table to negotiate, at some point that will happen,’ he added.
Macron, however, made clear that his country is not at war with Russia, despite European support for Ukraine.