Macron, Scholz and Draghi arrive in Kyiv

Reuters has a news flash that Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz and Mario Draghi have arrived in Kyiv. It also has some lines that have been given to the press pool from one of Macron’s Elysee officials. They say:

• the three leaders will discuss Ukraine’s EU candidacy with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy
• they know that Ukraine wants a strong symbol ahead of the 23-24 June EU summit
• they need to balance Ukraine’s natural aspirations for EU membership with the aspirations of all of the existing candidate countries
• they want to ensure the EU is not destabilised or fractured

French President Macron is quoted as telling reporters on his arrival that he will pass on a message of “European solidarity” to Zelenskiy, and that today marks an “important moment”.

For context, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey are all currently candidate countries for EU membership. Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina also have open discussions about potentially becoming candidate countries.

Those with the longest processes so far for joining the EU are Turkey, which became a candidate country in 1999, and North Macedonia, which became one in 2005.