Charles Michel visits Kyiv
EU Council President Charles Michel paid an unexpected visit to Kyiv on Wednesday. At a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky he said the EU would "do everything" to ensure Ukraine "will win the war". Empty promises or a sea change?
Hopes of peaceful resolution abandoned
La Repubblica comments on the change of tune in the EU:
“To the extent that they are confirmed in practice, which is at least partly the case, yesterday's statements by the president of the European Council during his visit to Kyiv mark a turning point in the fight against Putin. ... Europe has apparently abandoned all hope of a peaceful resolution and is now openly out to defeat Moscow. If the Kremlin was under the illusion that its 'special military operation' would end with the occupation of Donbass by 9 May, the anniversary of the victory over the Nazis, it has potentially made a further tragic miscalculation.”
Words alone achieve little
The Irish Independent is more sceptical about the promises:
“The EU and UN are clearly not indifferent to what is happening across Ukraine, but in view of the scale of civilian carnage their involvement has been anything but decisive. ... After eight weeks of barbarism, countries in the EU are still fattening Moscow's coffers by buying gas. Commitments to supply personnel carriers have also yet to be met. The number of refugees who have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded now exceeds five million. So the fact that 'history will not forget', as Mr Michel assured Ukrainians, may well be of scant comfort should the worst come to the worst.”