Too Late Lads Boris Beat You To It!

[ToraToraTora]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-61792068
...as usual UK shows Europe what to do! Must have taken them 2 months to get the bottle up to follow Boris!

[Gromit]

They have been barred previously from visiting by the Ukraine President.

[ichkeria]

No they haven't been barred.

Better late than never. And the date is significant.
As is the fact that they have gone together.

[naomi24]

The leaders of three EU countries have been barred from visiting by the president of the Ukraine? Really? How strange. First I've heard of it. Have you got a link, Gromit?

[Gromit]

https://www.politico.eu/article/olaf-scholz-not-to-go-to-ukraine-for-now-citing-diplomatic-snub/

[FatticusInch]

Lol, another Johnson J Arthur-fest is in the offing.

[ichkeria]

By the way, you can get Boris Johnson lemonade in Khmelnitskiy and Boris Johnson croissants in a bakery in Kyiv :-)

There has been a lot of bad feeling towards these leaders bult up in Kyiv over the last few months, some of it understandable. Whatever the actual intention, the impression given too often has been of compromise and "peace deals". And Germany has been perceived as stalling on weapons. But I am hoping we'll see a strong show of unity and talk (already coming from the French) of pursuing "total Ukrainain victory". The Ukrainian army has been benefotting from the huge French Caesar howitzers.

[ichkeria]

Yes Steinmeier was told not to come, and Scholz allegedly took the huff.
Not the same as Ukraine preventing these leaders from coming.

[naomi24]

Thanks Gromit. And the other two?

[ichkeria]

At no stage has Kyiv ever barred Macron, Scholz or Draghi from visiting Kyiv.
I'd just like to make that clear.
They have kept themselves away.
But as it turns out, all the more impact may their combined visit have now.

[naomi24]

Ich, it appears the German president wasn't welcome.

[ichkeria]

Like I say the Germans came in for what Scots would call “pelters” for their perceived cosying up to Russia. And Merkel’s part in Minsk - a never to be forgotten error.
But that’s not the same as “banning people” - they were crying out for them to come most of the time - it’s just hyperbole

[naomi24]

//Like I say the Germans came in for what Scots would call “pelters” for their perceived cosying up to Russia. And Merkel’s part in Minsk - a never to be forgotten error. //

I understand that, but hyperbole? Hmmm.... definitely a slight.

[ToraToraTora]

gromit, 10:40, so not barred then a hissy fit at some perceived "snub".

[ichkeria]

The hyperbole is the claim that folk were banned.

Apparently the BJ lemonade’s all gone after a block order from a G Ullivant or some such name ..

[naomi24]

That's just playing with words. He wasn't welcome.

[ichkeria]

He wasn’t banned.
That’s not playing with words it’s getting it right :-)
And actually there’s no hard evidence he wasn’t welcome either. He took a huff and banned himself by the sound of it

[naomi24]

Spin isn't unusual in war - from either side.

[ichkeria]

The spin was Gromit's :-)

[naomi24]

Gromit did spin - he's prone to exaggeration - but he also provided a link confirming that the president wasn't welcome.

[ichkeria]

French diplomats have apparently committed to support the return of Crimea to Ukraine, an ambition confirmed in an interview to CNN by Ukraine's defence minister.