Historical trip to Kyiv – new threats of sanctions on Russia

Travel to Kyiv

Europe’s message to Putin: ceasefire or new sanctions

It was a historic journey. And a historical meeting. Merz, Macron, Strandmer and Tusk Kyiv visited together. A message of solidarity to Ukraine. And a sign of unity in Russia. That reacts cool to the visit.

With a joint visit to Kiev, the heads of state and government of Germany, France, Poland and Great Britain demonstrated their solidarity with Ukraine and increased the pressure on Russia to agree to a ceasefire in the Ukraine War.

Now the West countered. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), French President Emmanuel Macron and the British Prime Minister Keir Strandmer traveled to Kiev by night. There they met on Saturday together with Poland’s Premier Donald Tusk for talks with the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj. Merz said in an interview in the “Bild” newspaper: “The message is: We are here. At the same time, with the same message: We support Ukraine.” It was about a sign of unity. And solidarity.

At a provisional memorial on the central independence place, the heads of state and government made lanterns and took a minute of commemoration.

After the Russian attack in 2022, the memorial spontaneously emerged on a lawn on Maidan-Platz. There, the Ukrainian population demonstrated for democratic Ukraine in 2014. And against the Russian influence in the country.

According to Russia’s attack in 2022, relatives or friends of fallen were asked about a note to place a mini flag for every dead on the lawn. In the meantime, a sea of ​​tens of thousands of flags, photos and other souvenirs are reminiscent of the Ukrainian war dead. According to official information, over 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the fights, and civilians have not included.

But it was about more than symbolic pictures with this historic trip to Kyiv.

Merz warned: “There will then be a massive tightening of the sanctions and there will continue to be massive help for Ukraine. Politically anyway, financial aid, but also military.”

Putin had announced a one -sided fire break around the celebrations for the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

The day after the parades, they reacted coolly to the visiting offensive in Moscow. Russia called for the stop of the United States and Europeans to stop arms on Ukraine during a possible ceasefire. “Otherwise it would be an advantage for Ukraine,” said Russian presidential office spokesman Dmitri Peskow in the ABC news. “So why should we give Ukraine such an advantage?”

Peskow confirmed several Russian conditions for a break. “President Putin supported a ceasefire,” said the Kremlin spokesman. However, he makes it clear: Putin “said that there is currently a certain dynamic on the front that advanced Russian troops, and with quite confidence.” Doesn’t sound like steering in Moscow.