On Thursday, during a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, four European leaders expressed their support for the war-torn country, pledging to back Kyiv's bid to eventually join the European Union and offering further armaments to repel Russia's invasion.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated at a news conference with Zelenskyy and the others that France, Germany, Italy, and Romania are "doing everything so that Ukraine alone may decide its fate."
Macron pledged Ukraine six additional truck-mounted artillery weapons, the latest in a new round of Western arms commitments as the conflict in the eastern Donbas region continues to rage.
"My colleagues and I have come to Kyiv today with a clear message: Ukraine belongs to the European family," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.
In light of Ukrainian concerns that Western resolve may waver, the visit had major symbolism. France, Germany, and Italy have been criticized for continuing to interact with Russian President Vladimir Putin and for failing to provide Ukraine with the armaments it claims to require.
"Today, we stand beside Chancellor Scholz. A century ago, we were at war, and our allies aided France to victory. France made a historical error. It lost the war because of its desire to humiliate Germany," Macron said, adding he has always placed the matter of shame in a future context, and not the current one.
Macron, with Scholz by his side, justified prior remarks that infuriated Ukrainians about not humiliating Russia, solemnly emphasizing that the end of World War I had planted the seeds for World War II.
Macron also said that this battle must be won, and that France supports Ukraine so that it wins the war. Germany, like France, will never negotiate on behalf of the Ukrainian government with Russia, he explained.
In his weekly video address, Zelenskyy said that it was crucial for him to know that European leaders believe that the end of the war and the establishment of peace in Ukraine should be as Ukraine sees them. He added that Ukrainians will continue to struggle for their entire territory.
For the sake of peace, Ukrainians and some of their European neighbors feared that Western powers would urge for territorial concessions.
Scholz reaffirmed that there is no intention to impose anything to the Ukrainians, and that only they "can decide what is right in terms of an agreement on a peace that we are sadly very, very far from."
