Ukraine crisis: Leaders of France, Germany and Italy head for Kyiv as U.S. pledges more military aid

It is the first time that French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi have visited Kyiv since Russian invasion of Ukraine

The leaders of France, Germany and Italy were on a train bound for Kyiv on June 16, a day after the United States announced $1 billion worth of new arms for embattled Ukrainian forces.

Kyiv’s troops are resisting a fierce onslaught in the Donbas region by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces, which are pushing to seize a swathe of eastern and southern Ukraine.

In a show of support, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi are visiting Kyiv.

The three leaders left Poland in the morning by train, according to AFP.

Speaking during a visit to neighbouring Romania on June 15, Mr. Macron said that “we, the European Union, need to send clear political signals to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, who have been resisting heroically for several months”.

It is the first time that the leaders of the three European Union countries have visited Kyiv since Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine.

They are due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, at a time when Kyiv is pushing for membership of the EU.