The Prime Ministers of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki, of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, and of Slovenia, Janez Janša, travelled to Kyiv on Tuesday 15 March to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and their counterpart, Denys Chmyhal, in order to “confirm the unequivocal support of the whole of the European Union for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine”.
The three Prime Ministers were there to present “a comprehensive package of measures to support the Ukrainian state and society”, according to a statement by the Polish government. On Twitter, Mr Janša said they came with a message from the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mathias Cormann. “There is a strong commitment from the OECD to support the reconstruction of Ukraine”, he said.
While Mr Fiala said the visit was organised in consultation with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, according to EU sources, the latter were informed of the intention to make the trip on the margins of the Versailles summit and then of its confirmation on Monday evening. An EU source said the three Prime Ministers had not received a mandate from the European Council.
According to the source, Mr Michel recognised the need to show the EU’s support for Ukraine, but also pointed to the security risks of such a trip. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)