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A30 world news
Diabierna 17 Juni 2022

Leaders pledge arms and EU path for Ukraine in Kyiv visit

emnly noting how the end of World whelmed amid largescale hunger in
War I had sown the seeds of World the Southern Hemisphere.
War II. "We want the atrocities to stop and
"We are side by side today with Chan- we want peace," Draghi said. "But
cellor Scholz. One hundred years Ukraine must defend itself, and it
ago, we were at war and allies helped will be Ukraine that chooses the
France win. France committed a his- peace it wants."
toric mistake. It lost the peace because
it wanted to humiliate Germany. The The leaders also visited Irpin, a Kyiv
question of humiliation I always suburb that saw intense fighting and
placed in a context to come, not the where many civilians were killed.
current context," he said. "Today, this They decried the destruction there,
war must be won, France clearly sup- with Macron saying he saw signs of
ports Ukraine so it prevails," Macron "war crimes."
said. "Germany, like France, will nev- While shocking images of such dev-
er be in situations where they negoti- astation have rallied Western support,
ate on Ukraine's behalf with Russia. Ukrainian officials have expressed
Moreover, we have never done that." concern that "war fatigue" could
Ukrainians and some of their Euro- eventually erode that — particularly
pean neighbors also have been afraid as rising prices and upcoming U.S.
(AP) — Four European leaders ex- alone can decide its fate," Macron said that Western powers might press for elections increasingly dominating
pressed their support for Ukraine at a news conference with Zelenskyy territorial concessions for the sake of public concerns.
on Thursday while meeting with and the others. peace.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, The U.S. and its European allies have
vowing to back Kyiv's candidacy Amid Ukrainian fears that Western Scholz reiterated that there is no such given billions of dollars in weaponry
to eventually join the European resolve could wane, the visit carried intent to dictate anything to Ukrai- to Ukraine, and Germany and the
Union and offering more weap- heavy symbolism. France, Germany nians, and that only they "can decide U.S. recently announced new arms
ons to fend off Russia's invasion. and Italy have all faced criticism for what is right in terms of an agreement shipments. Such arms have been cru-
continuing to engage with Russian on a peace which we are unfortunate- cial in preventing the Russians from
French President Emmanuel Macron President Vladimir Putin — and fail- ly very, very far away from." taking the capital, but Kyiv has said
promised Ukraine six more truck- ing to give Kyiv the weaponry it says Italian Premier Mario Draghi ex- much more will be needed.
mounted artillery guns, the latest in its needs. pressed concern about millions of A number of other European leaders
a new round of Western arms pledges tons of grain backed up in Black Sea have already made the trip to show
as the war grinds on in the Donbas With German Chancellor Olaf ports by the war, saying it could bring their solidarity with Ukraine, even
region in the east. Scholz beside him, Macron defended "worldwide catastrophe." Italy has when the fighting raged closer to the
France, Germany, Italy and Romania earlier comments that riled Ukraini- been a first destination for African capital than it does now.
"are doing everything so that Ukraine ans about not humiliating Russia, sol- migrants and could find itself over-

Ethics adviser to scandal-hit UK leader Boris Johnson quits

(AP) — The ethics ad- cial industry" which might vant's report said the prime Geidt's predecessor as ethics Geidt, a former private sec-
viser to Britain's scandal- "be seen to conflict with our minister and senior officials adviser, Alex Allan, also quit, retary to Queen Elizabeth
hit Prime Minister Boris obligations" under the World must bear responsibility for stepping down in November II, had been accused of go-
Johnson has quit and ac- Trade Organization. "failures of leadership and 2020 after the prime minis- ing easy on top officials in
cused the Conservative The government declined judgment" that created a cul- ter ignored his finding that his investigations. Last year,
government of planning to confirm reports that the ture of rule-breaking in gov- a Cabinet member, Home he cleared Johnson of break-
to flout conduct rules, industry is steelmaking, cit- ernment. Secretary Priti Patel, had bul- ing the ministerial code when
weeks after a separate in- ing "commercial sensitivity." When he was quizzed by law- lied her staff and broken the the leader failed to disclose
vestigation criticized the Britain has imposed restric- makers this week, Geidt ac- ministerial code of conduct that a Conservative party
U.K. leader for overseeing tions on imports of Chinese knowledged he felt "frustra- — also usually a resigning of- donor had funded a pricey
a culture of government steel to protect its domestic tion" in his job, noting that he fense. refurbishment of the prime
rule-breaking. industry. was appointed by the prime minister's official residence.
Johnson's government kept minister and so not "truly in- "For the prime minister to
Christopher Geidt stepped most of the "steel safeguard" dependent." lose one adviser on ministers' In April, he cleared Treasury
down late Wednesday as In- measures in place last year, interests may be regarded as a chief Rishi Sunak of wrong-
dependent Adviser on Minis- overruling advice from its The resignation of his hand- misfortune. To lose two looks doing over his wife's tax af-
ters' Interests, a decision the trade advisory body to lift picked ethics adviser is the like carelessness," said Con- fairs and his possession of a
government said came as a some of them. Ministers are latest blow for Johnson. He servative lawmaker William U.S. permanent resident's
surprise. currently considering wheth- survived a no-confidence Wragg, a critic of Johnson. card.
er to extend them again. vote by his own Conservative
In a resignation letter, which Party last week but was left
was published Thursday by Johnson's spokesman said weakened after 41% of Con-
the government, Geidt said "no decisions have been tak- servative lawmakers voted to
he was put in an "impossible en" on what to do about the remove him.
and odious position" because tariffs. Johnson still faces a parlia-
the prime minister had asked Geidt had stayed in his job as mentary ethics probe that
him to advise on measures Johnson was buffeted by al- could conclude he deliber-
that would "risk a deliberate legations about his judgment ately misled Parliament over
and purposeful breach of the and ethics, culminating in the "partygate" — traditionally a
Ministerial Code" that regu- "partygate" scandal over par- resigning offense.
lates government conduct. ties in government buildings
He did not elaborate but said: during Britain's coronavirus No replacement has been
"I can have no part in this." lockdowns. named for Geidt. Johnson's
spokesman, Max Blain, said
In a response, Johnson indi- Johnson was one of 83 people the prime minister was re-
cated the issue concerned tar- fined by police for attending viewing "how best to carry
iffs imposed to protect a "cru- the parties, and a civil ser- out" the ethics role.