Macron, Scholz pledge to continue support to Ukraine & minimise reliance on Russia

Amid the ravaging war between Russia and Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met on Monday and affirmed their support for the war-torn nation. During a working dinner in Paris on Monday night, both leaders agreed to work concurrently on several bilateral and international issues including the ongoing "special military operation".  Notably, this was the third meeting between Macron and Scholz in the last month. Earlier, the duo met at a private dinner held on June 25 on the occasion of the G7 summit in the Bavarian Alps and the trip to Kyiv. 

"Thank you beaucoup for the invitation, cheers @EmmanuelMacron! Whether at the G7 meeting in Elmau, the NATO summit or here in Paris - it's good that we're in close contact on the many pressing issues of the day," the German Chancellor tweeted in order to thank Macron for the invitation.

According to a report by the French daily afternoon newspaper, Le Monde, the leaders also held extensive discussions on minimising the dependence of the European Union on Russia in terms of energy. Besides, they also discussed the alternative of export of raw materials related to defence and other strategic materials. "During this Paris dinner, the two leaders returned to "the main current issues at the international, European and bilateral levels. Such negotiations help build trust and deepen this trust, especially after the NATO and G7 summit in Elmau," Ukrinform quoted Chancellor's spokesman Steffen Hebestreit as saying.

Macron and Scholz also vow their support to Ukraine for EU membership 

It is worth mentioning that during their last visit to Ukraine, both-- Macron and Scholz vowed their support to Ukraine in granting candidate status for European Union membership. Giving the status to Ukraine is "a strong, quick, expected gesture of hope and clarity that we want to send to Ukraine and its people," the French leader said during the press conference following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the late afternoon. He, however, stressed that the status would be followed by a "roadmap" that would include "conditions". On the other hand, Scholz, who faced criticism from Zelenskyy for the delay in delivering weapons to Kyiv, called Ukraine "a family of European Union" and also pledged his support to Ukraine in preventing Russia's brutal aggression. "My colleagues and I have come here to Kyiv today with a clear message: Ukraine belongs to the European family," said Scholz. 

Image: Twitter/@Bundeskanzler