Coalition of the Willing assembling? Merz, Macron, Starmer, and Tusk arrive in Kyiv
Photo: Keir Starmer, Friedrich Merz and Emmanuel Macron (t.me/ermaka2022)
The new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk arrived in Kyiv on Saturday, May 10, for an official visit, according to a live broadcast from the telethon.
At the Kyiv train station, the European leaders were greeted by Andriy Yermak, head of the President’s Office, and Andrii Sybiha, the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
"Today will be a busy day. Extremely important meetings. We welcome four European leaders to Ukraine, the leaders of the Coalition of the Willing. Therefore, we expect important decisions, we expect further strengthening of European solidarity and continued support for Ukraine," said Sybiha at the train station.
Yermak noted that today there would be "a lot of work and many topics to discuss."
"We need to end this war with a just peace. We must force Moscow to agree to a ceasefire," added the head of the President's Office.
Photo: European leaders arrived in Kyiv (t.me/ermaka2022)
Photo: European leaders arrived in Kyiv (t.me/ermaka2022)
Photo: European leaders arrived in Kyiv (t.me/ermaka2022)
Photo: European leaders arrived in Kyiv (t.me/ermaka2022)
Photo: European leaders arrived in Kyiv (t.me/ermaka2022)
The communications advisor to the head of the Office of the President, Daria Zarivna, shared footage of the arrival of four leaders in Kyiv.
Photo: Macron, Merz, Starmer and Tusk in Kyiv (t.me/dashazarivna)
Photo: Macron, Merz, Starmer and Tusk in Kyiv (t.me/dashazarivna)
Merz's first visit to Kyiv as Chancellor of Germany
On May 6, the Bundestag voted to appoint Friedrich Merz as the new Chancellor of Germany. Following this, he took the oath and officially assumed his new position.
Today marks Friedrich Merz’s first official visit to Ukraine as Chancellor of Germany.
He had visited the Ukrainian capital at the beginning of December last year. At that time, Merz expressed his support for providing Ukraine with long-range weapons. He emphasized that these weapons should be capable of striking military targets on Russian territory.
Coalition of the Willing
The UK and France have led efforts to ensure peace in Ukraine. The Coalition of the Willing was formed, gathering countries willing to provide troops or other support for peace efforts in Ukraine.
This coalition is known for its quick decision-making, readiness to supply modern weapons, train Ukrainian military personnel, and assist in rebuilding infrastructure.
As UK Defence Minister John Healy noted, the aim of the coalition is to ensure Ukraine has a secure sky, sea, and land, as well as support for its defenders.
Meeting of the Coalition of the Willing
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing will be held in Ukraine.
He mentioned that Ukraine, together with its partners, faces serious work ahead.
The Ukrainian leader did not disclose details about the topics that will be discussed during the meeting.
