INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The European Union's most powerful leaders on Thursday embraced Ukraine's bid to be accepted as a candidate for EU membership, in a powerful
symbol of support in Kyiv's battle against Russia's invasion.French President Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian
premier Mario Draghi arrived in Ukraine by train and headed to the Kyiv suburb of Irpin, scene of fierce battles early in the brutal
war.They were later joined in Kyiv by Romania's President Klaus Iohannis and met their Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, who has
been lobbying his western allies for most and faster weapons deliveries and the promise of a European future."All four of us support the
status of immediate candidate for accession," Macron told a joint press conference with his EU colleagues.Draghi agreed: "The most important
supporting Ukraine with the deliveries of weapons
member, and said Ukrainians has already proved themselves worthy of candidate status.The European Commission will meet Friday to give its
official opinion on Ukraine's formal bid for EU candidacy, which must be approved by all 27 member states.'Heavy weapons'Once a candidate,
videoconference.Members will discuss weapons and training for Ukrainian forces and shoring up their own eastern flank against the Russian
threat."I explained our essential needs in the field of defense," Zelensky said after meeting the visiting leaders."We are expecting new
deliveries, above all heavy weapons, modern artillery, anti-aircraft defense systems," he said, even as Macron said France would send six
Caesar self-propelled howitzers to add to the 12 already deployed on Ukraine's eastern front."Every batch of these deliveries saves
Every day of delayed or postponed decisions is an opportunity for the Russian military to kill Ukrainians or ruin our cities," Zelensky
said.Earlier, on a tour of Irpin, Macron had declared: "France has been alongside Ukraine since day one
We stand with the Ukrainians without ambiguity
Ukraine must resist and win."'Rebuild everything'Surrounded by the wreckage left by Ukraine's successful but hard-fought defense of its
capital in the early stages of the 113-day-old conflict, Draghi said: "We will rebuild everything."They destroyed kindergartens, they
Everything will be rebuilt," he promised.It is the first time the three have visited Kyiv since Russia's Feb
what more they can do and on Wednesday, U.S
President Joe Biden announced $1 billion worth of new arms for Ukrainian forces.Moscow was dismissive of the European visit, and of the arms
supplies."Supporting Ukraine by further pumping Ukraine with weapons," warned Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov would be "absolutely useless
and will cause further damage to the country."Zelensky countered: "Russia does not want peace, it never wants anything but war."The new U.S
support package includes howitzers, ammunition, anti-ship missile systems, and additional rockets for new artillery systems that Ukraine
will soon put in the field.Food crisisFighting in eastern Ukraine is focused on the industrial city of Severodonetsk, and Russians forces
"holding back the enemy as much as possible," he said on Telegram
"For almost four months they have dreamt of controlling Severodonetsk..
and they do not count the victims."Elsewhere, Russia launched a missile strike in Ukraine's north-east Sumy region, killing four people and
injuring six others, governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky said on Telegram.The United Nations warned a hunger crisis that has been worsened by the war
in Ukraine, traditionally a breadbasket to the world, could swell already record global displacement numbers.Addressing the food insecurity
crisis is "of paramount importance..
to prevent a larger number of people moving," the United Nations refugee chief Filippo Grandi told reporters.
