Estonia’s, Latvia’s, Lithuania’s, and Poland’s presidents are travelling to Ukraine

Estonia’s, Latvia’s, Lithuania’s, and Poland’s presidents are travelling to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “On our way to Kyiv, a city that has suffered greatly as a result of the Russian war since my last visit,” Estonian President Alar Karis tweeted.

On Wednesday, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausda stated that he would be “heading to Kyiv with a strong message of political support and military assistance.”

The trip also includes Polish President Andrzej Duda and Latvian President Egils Levits.

The visit was supposed to include German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier “to send a strong signal of European solidarity with Ukraine,” but he said on Tuesday that he was not welcome in Ukraine.

“I was prepared to do this,” he said, “but apparently, and this is something I must note, this was not wanted in Kyiv.”

After an unidentified Ukrainian diplomat told the German newspaper Bild that he was not welcome in Kyiv at the moment, Steinmeier spoke out.

President Zelenskyy has criticised Steinmeier’s historical support for Western-Russian rapprochement.

The German president has been a vocal proponent of the “Wandel durch Handel” (Change through Trade) theory, which contends that strengthening commercial ties can help spur democratic reforms.

Berlin had been hesitant to send weapons to Ukraine due to historical reasons, but in response to the conflict, it has now sent anti-tank weapons, missile launchers, and surface-to-air missiles.

Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, paid a visit to Kyiv last week after promising to provide Ukraine with more than $130 million in advanced weaponry. Johnson’s surprise visit was described by Downing Street as a “show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people,” with his one-on-one meeting with Zelenskyy focusing on long-term support and new financial and military aid.

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