{"id":1519721,"date":"2022-06-17T01:34:04","date_gmt":"2022-06-17T05:34:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1519721"},"modified":"2022-06-17T01:34:06","modified_gmt":"2022-06-17T05:34:06","slug":"in-first-visit-since-war-began-european-leaders-talk-up-eu-prospects-for-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/in-first-visit-since-war-began-european-leaders-talk-up-eu-prospects-for-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"In First Visit Since War Began, European Leaders Talk up EU Prospects for Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fin-first-visit-since-war-began-european-leaders-talk-up-eu-prospects-for-ukraine%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1519721&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><header aria-label=\"Beginning of Article\" class=\"article-header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Breadcrumb Trail Links<\/h2>\n<ol class=\"breadcrumbs__items list-unstyled\">\n<li class=\"breadcrumbs__item\"> <a class=\"breadcrumbs__item-link\" href=\"https:\/\/nationalpost.com\/category\/pmn\/news-pmn\/politics-news-pmn\/\">PMN Politics<\/a> <\/li>\n<li class=\"breadcrumbs__item\"> <a class=\"breadcrumbs__item-link\" href=\"https:\/\/nationalpost.com\/category\/pmn\/news-pmn\/\">PMN News<\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"wire-published-by\">\n<p class=\"visually-hidden\">Author of the article:<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Reuters\" aria-labelledby=\"wire-company-name\" class=\"wire-published-by__logo\" height=\"70\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0e5521e933d53566787277062da28f5a?s=70&#038;d=mp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0e5521e933d53566787277062da28f5a?s=70&#038;d=mp, https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0e5521e933d53566787277062da28f5a?s=140&#038;d=mp 2x\" width=\"70\" \/> <\/p>\n<div class=\"wire-published-by__author-container\">\n<p> Reuters <\/p>\n<p> Simon Lewis <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>IRPIN \u2014 President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday won backing from the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania to give Ukraine European Union candidate status, while urging them to send more weapons and impose tougher sanctions on Russia.<\/p>\n<p>In the first such visit to the capital since Russia invaded on Feb. 24, France\u2019s Emmanuel Macron, Germany\u2019s Olaf Scholz, Italy\u2019s Mario Draghi and Romania\u2019s Klaus Iohannis said Ukraine belonged in the \u201cEuropean family.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ukraine has urged the EU to clear a path to membership, but such a move has caused some misgivings in the 27-member bloc. The meeting came a day before the European Commission is due to make a recommendation on Ukraine\u2019s status as an EU candidate.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment6530031962000009751137113706009017\" class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\" id=\"advertisment6530031962000009751137113706009017\">Advertisement 2<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__label\">\n<p> Story continues below <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-2\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[6,6],[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-interscroller=\"6x6\" data-ad-loc=\"2\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[6,6],[320,50],[300,50],[300,250],[300,600]]\" id=\"ad-2\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>After earlier batting away suggestions of being soft on Russia, Macron said the West would not demand any concessions from Ukraine and that the circumstances of peace talks would be on Kyiv\u2019s terms.<\/p>\n<p>Zelenskiy, who has not left Ukraine since the invasion and was dressed in a khaki t-shirt, has voiced gratitude for the West\u2019s help, though his administration also previously berated allies for dragging their feet on sanctions and arms supplies.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy colleagues and I came here to Kyiv today with a clear message: \u2018Ukraine belongs to the European family\u2019,\u201d Scholz said, while Macron said, \u201cWe all four support the immediate EU candidate status\u201d for Ukraine, adding: \u201cEurope is by your side, and will remain so for as long as necessary, all the way to victory.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment4218051827738627327954195767544214\" class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\" id=\"advertisment4218051827738627327954195767544214\">Advertisement 3<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__label\">\n<p> Story continues below <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-3\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[7,7],[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-interscroller=\"7x7\" data-ad-loc=\"3\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[7,7],[300,250],[320,50],[300,50]]\" id=\"ad-3\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>MORE HEAVY WEAPONS Ukraine has asked for more weapons to turn the tide of the war decisively in its favor after enduring losses of 100-200 soldiers a day in a fierce battle for control of its eastern Donbas region. EU leaders, meanwhile, have grappled with keeping domestic opinion onside as the economic costs of the war and rising prices hit home.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe appreciate the support already provided by partners, we expect new deliveries, primarily heavy weapons, modern rocket artillery, anti-missile defense systems,\u201d Zelenskiy said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery day of delay or delayed decisions is an opportunity for the Russian military to kill Ukrainians or destroy our cities,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is a direct correlation: the more powerful weapons we get, the faster we can liberate our people, our land.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment2272474368692672316218537037921090\" class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\" id=\"advertisment2272474368692672316218537037921090\">Advertisement 4<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__label\">\n<p> Story continues below <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-4\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-loc=\"4\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" id=\"ad-4\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>During the talks, Zelenskiy pressed for a seventh EU sanctions package that included an embargo on Russian gas. The visit coincided with Russia reducing supplies via its Nord Stream pipeline in what Berlin saw as a political move.<\/p>\n<p>Scholz said Germany would support Ukraine\u2019s path to EU membership but also said requirements on democracy and rule of law would need to be complied with.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018UNIMAGINABLE CRUELTY\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Arriving on a night train as air raid sirens blared in Kyiv, the EU leaders had first walked around ruined buildings and wrecked cars in the nearby town of Irpin, the scene of heavy fighting early in the invasion.<\/p>\n<p>The Irpin tour was designed to highlight what Ukraine and its backers say were large-scale atrocities committed by Russian troops, what Scholz described as the scene of \u201cunimaginable cruelty\u201d and \u201csenseless violence.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"ad__section-border article-content__ad-group\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment7437404678359278580760355629322519\" class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\" id=\"advertisment7437404678359278580760355629322519\">Advertisement 5<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__label\">\n<p> Story continues below <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-5\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-loc=\"5\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" id=\"ad-5\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<section class=\"article-content__content-group\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Article content<\/h2>\n<p>Standing by gutted, burnt-out buildings, the leaders looked stern as they listened to a Ukrainian minister explaining what had happened there.<\/p>\n<p>They were shown the wreckage of a car which Ukraine says was targeted by Russian troops when a mother and children were inside. Russia denies allegations that its forces committed atrocities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a heroic city\u2026marked by the stigma of barbarism,\u201d Macron told reporters.<\/p>\n<p>Commenting on the visit, the Kremlin said the leaders should use their time with Zelenskiy to take a \u201crealistic look at the state of affairs\u201d rather than discussing more arms shipments to Kyiv.<\/p>\n<p>Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia\u2019s Security Council, mocked the visit as having \u201czero use\u201d and having \u201cpromised EU membership and old howitzers to Ukraine.\u201d (Additional reporting by Sarah Marsh and Andreas Rinke in Berlin, John Irish, Michel Rose and Benoit Van Overstraeten in Paris; Writing by Ingrid Melander, Crispian Balmer and Matthias Williams; Editing by Jon Boyle and Alex Richardson)<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"article-content__share-group article-delimiter\" data-evt=\"beforeunload\" data-evt-typ=\"page_scroll\" data-evt-val=\"{\" control_fields>\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\">Share this article in your social network<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"article-content__ad-group\">\n<div class=\"ad__section-border ad__section-border--category visually-hidden\">\n<section aria-describedby=\"advertisment3218785500510209284924446427178545\" class=\"ad\">\n<h2 class=\"visually-hidden\" id=\"advertisment3218785500510209284924446427178545\">Advertisement <\/h2>\n<div class=\"ad__container\">\n<div class=\"ad__label\">\n<p> Story continues below <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"ad__inner\" id=\"ad__inner-acceptable\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner__container\" data-ad=\"[[1200,250],[1200,90],[970,90],[970,250],[728,90],[300,250]]\" data-ad-acceptable=\"\" data-ad-loc=\"1\" data-ad-mobile=\"[[320,50],[300,50],[300,250]]\" id=\"ad-acceptable\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad__placeholder\">\n<p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"widget article-content__widget-group article-content__widget-group--slot2 article-content__widget-group--no-featured-media\">\n<section aria-labelledby=\"NPPosted3109817621910378977729158171526053\" class=\"newsletter-widget np-headlinenews\" data-account-id=\"b9d3df2fccd108b5eff3c44f573b2cd6\" data-newsletter=\"single\" data-newsletter-component=\"\" data-target-list=\"NP_HeadlineNews\" data-widget=\"newsletter\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Posted Newsletter logo\" class=\"newsletter-widget__logo newsletter-widget__logo--NP_HeadlineNews\" height=\"80\" src=\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gstage.postmedia.digital\/10.7.1\/websites\/images\/newsletters\/logo\/logo-NP_HeadlineNews.svg\" width=\"97\" \/> <\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-widget__body\">\n<h2 class=\"newsletter-widget__title\" id=\"NPPosted3109817621910378977729158171526053\">NP Posted<\/h2>\n<p class=\"newsletter-widget__text\">Sign up to receive the daily top stories from the National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.<\/p>\n<div class=\"js-replace-main\">  <small class=\"newsletter-widget__disclaimer text-size--micro\"> By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. 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