EU leaders visit Kyiv

German, French, Italian, and Romanian leaders met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv to express Europe’s solidarity with Ukraine, amid Russia’s invasion.

krainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) shakes hands with France's President Emmanuel Macron (2-L) as Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz (L), Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi (2-R) and Romania's President Klaus Werner Iohannis (R) look on prior to their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Photo: PAP/EPA/LUDOVIC MARIN

France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Olaf Scholz, Italy's Mario Draghi and Romania's Klaus Iohannis also toured the town of Irpin, near Kiyv, which has been the scene of heavy fighting and was destroyed by Russian attacks.

⚡️Zelensky meets German, French, Italian, Romanian leaders in Kyiv.

Zelensky's meeting with Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, Mario Draghi, and Klaus Iohannis started after the four visited Irpin, a town that had been devastated by Russia’s war, on June 16.

📷President's Office pic.twitter.com/nVsh0CVJfT

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) June 16, 2022

According to the Reuters news agency, “the tour was designed to highlight what Ukraine and its backers say were large-scale atrocities committed by Russian troops”.

The agency quoted Germany’s Scholz as saying that the town witnessed “unimaginable cruelty" and "senseless violence".

"It's a heroic city...marked by the stigma of barbarism," France’s Macron said, as quoted by Reuters.

The visit takes place ahead of this month’s summits of the EU, NATO and the Group of Seven (G7) most advanced economies.

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Source: Reuters