KIYEV - Germany is in favour of a positive decision for Ukraine’s candidacy to the European Union, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Thursday, adding that Ukraine “belongs to the European family.” “My colleagues and I have come here to Kyiv today with a clear message: Ukraine belongs to the European family. One milestone on what is likely to be a long European road is the status of an accession candidate.
The member states of the European Union will be discussing this in the next few days. We know that unanimity is needed among the 27 EU countries,” Scholz said during a joint news conference in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his fellow travelers French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. “Germany is in favor of a positive decision for Ukraine, including for the Republic of Moldova,” Scholz said.
He added that all candidates had to fulfill ascension criteria concerning democracy and constitutional law.
“We also support Ukraine by supplying weapons, and we will continue to do so for as long as Ukraine needs our support. We are currently training the Ukrainian military in state-of-the-art weapons, the self-propelled Howitzer 2000 and the Gepard anti-aircraft tank. In addition, I have agreed to supply the modern Iris-T air defense system, which can defend an entire city against air attacks, and the special radar,” Scholz said.
“We want to help ensure that Russia abandons its undertaking,” he added.
Earlier today, German defense minister Christine Lambrecht announced the delivery of three German rocket launchers to Ukraine end of July or beginning of August. Training for Ukrainian soldiers could start in June the minister said upon arrival to a NATO-meeting in Brussels on Thursday.
| Tells Germany is in favour of a positive decision for Ukraine
The member states of the European Union will be discussing this in the next few days. We know that unanimity is needed among the 27 EU countries,” Scholz said during a joint news conference in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his fellow travelers French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. “Germany is in favor of a positive decision for Ukraine, including for the Republic of Moldova,” Scholz said.
He added that all candidates had to fulfill ascension criteria concerning democracy and constitutional law.
“We also support Ukraine by supplying weapons, and we will continue to do so for as long as Ukraine needs our support. We are currently training the Ukrainian military in state-of-the-art weapons, the self-propelled Howitzer 2000 and the Gepard anti-aircraft tank. In addition, I have agreed to supply the modern Iris-T air defense system, which can defend an entire city against air attacks, and the special radar,” Scholz said.
“We want to help ensure that Russia abandons its undertaking,” he added.
Earlier today, German defense minister Christine Lambrecht announced the delivery of three German rocket launchers to Ukraine end of July or beginning of August. Training for Ukrainian soldiers could start in June the minister said upon arrival to a NATO-meeting in Brussels on Thursday.
| Tells Germany is in favour of a positive decision for Ukraine