Austria also reported a gas cut + Sievjerodonetsk in particular

German Chancellor Olaf Schulz prepared Ukraine for a lengthy process before it could join the European Union. The politician from the Social Democratic Party said Thursday evening in the “Heut magazine” ZDF that the status of the candidate to join means that the hope on the way to Europe for the people of Ukraine becomes tangible. “It’s not easy, but it’s a very difficult path and it can also take a very long time,” Schulz explained.

Everyone in Ukraine knows this, too. Regarding the time horizon, Schulze said no one could seriously answer that. “But it’s worth it, that’s the message.” At the ZDF and ARD, the German chancellor spoke about questions about the rule of law and democracy, which are prerequisites for joining the European Union. “This is about hope,” Schulz said on ARD “Focus.” “Europe is a good idea,” he added.

Schultz traveled to Ukraine on Thursday with French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. For the first time, Schulze and Macron campaigned for Ukraine to become a candidate to join the European Union. “We have decided that Ukraine belongs to the European family,” the chancellor stressed in an interview with RTL/ntv.

The chancellor made no concrete promises to deliver more weapons to Ukraine on Thursday in Kyiv. Do what’s necessary, and do it carefully,” Schultz said on RTL/ntv. This ensured that Germany had made a “very effective contribution” so far.