Why do all struggling leaders go to Kiev?
Poland, Slovenia, and Czech Republic: Prime Ministers Mateusz Morawiecki, Janez Janša, and Petr Fiala were the first Western leaders to visit Kyiv by train in March 2022.
Baltic States: Presidents Andrzej Duda (Poland), Gitanas Nausėda (Lithuania), Egils Levits (Latvia), and Alar Karis (Estonia) visited in April 2022.
Major European Powers: Emmanuel Macron (France), Olaf Scholz (Germany), Mario Draghi (Italy), and Klaus Iohannis (Romania) arrived together in June 2022.
Other Leaders: Boris Johnson (UK) made a surprise visit in April; Justin Trudeau (Canada) visited in May; and Ursula von der Leyen (EU) visited in June.
2023–2024 Developments
US President Joe Biden visited in February 2023, announcing significant military aid.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited by train in March 2023.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited in January 2024, signing a security pact.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited in January 2024.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kyiv in August 2024, calling for peace talks.
Anniversary Visits: On the second anniversary (February 2024), Giorgia Meloni (Italy), Justin Trudeau (Canada), and Alexander De Croo (Belgium) visited alongside Ursula von der Leyen.
Recent and Future Coordination (2025)
February 2025: A large delegation including Justin Trudeau, Jonas Gahr Støre (Norway), Mette Frederiksen (Denmark), and Ulf Kristersson (Sweden) visited for the war’s third anniversary.
May 2025: Emmanuel Macron (France), Friedrich Merz (Germany), Keir Starmer (UK), and Donald Tusk (Poland) made their first-ever joint visit to Kyiv to push for a ceasefire.
Burnham went there week one of his stollen PM-ship