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On Tuesday, March 15, 2022, the battle in Ukraine had already been raging for 3 weeks. Russian troops had approached to inside a couple of kilometers of the capital Kyiv, attempting to interrupt by way of its defenses from the north and west. The town had been rocked by heavy shelling within the morning and was vulnerable to being encircled.
After which got here the information that a number of EU leaders had arrived within the Ukrainian capital to pay a shock go to. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and his deputy Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the chief of Poland’s ruling PiS occasion, had travelled by prepare with the Slovenian and Czech leaders Janez Jansa and Petr Fiala. The images of all of them poring over a map of Ukraine whereas onboard went viral.
They then met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy within the bunker below his official residence.
It had been essential to maintain the journey secret, given the hazard that the leaders may fall sufferer to a Russian assault.
Japanese and central European leaders made a shock go to to Kyiv in March
Few alternate options to rail
Although Russian troops have now withdrawn from the larger Kyiv space, it’s nonetheless tough to journey to the Ukrainian capital by some other means than by rail. The airspace over Ukraine has been closed because the February 24 invasion. Many roads are nonetheless barely accessible as a consequence of heavy preventing.
Thus, the railway has established itself as one of the best technique of transporting politicians from around the globe to Kyiv. The primary historic journey by the central and japanese European leaders was adopted by visits by different prime politicians, together with European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
A number of German politicians have additionally traveled to Ukraine, together with Overseas Minister Annalena Baerbock and opposition chief Friedrich Merz.
After some to-ing and fro-ing, Chancellor Olaf Scholz additionally determined to make the journey, together with French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
Perilous journey
Though preventing has now shifted primarily to japanese Ukraine, a journey to Kyiv by prepare is just not with out threat. Russian missile strikes proceed to rain down on tracks, bridges and provincial prepare stations, notably to be able to disrupt arms provides.
Mario Draghi, Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz en path to Kyiv
When international politicians journey to Kyiv by prepare, they usually get on a Ukrainian prepare for the final leg of their journey from the Polish border as a result of European and Ukrainian rail monitor widths are totally different. Delegations are normally accompanied by their very own nationwide safety personnel as effectively Ukrainian safety guards.
Secrecy not all the time maintained
Secrecy is meant to be of the utmost significance. The April go to of US Secretary of State Blinken and US Protection Minister Lloyd Austin was first made public solely afterwards — for concern of a Russian missile assault.
Thus, Ukrainian and Polish safety groups will need to have been displeased when Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki introduced his go to whereas nonetheless en path to Kyiv. The chairman of Ukrainian Railways, Oleksandr Kamyshin, later instructed US broadcaster CNN that the present of solidarity was welcome, however it had been a bit rash to promote it so early. “That was actually essential for us, even when it was naive,” he stated. Because the invasion, Kamyshin and his colleagues have been working from a prepare that continuously modifications its location.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy met German Overseas Minister Annalena Baerbock in Could
He stated that he didn’t even inform his youngsters and suggested them to not reveal their location both. “Everybody ought to perceive that that is battle. However I cannot instruct prime ministers.”
Nor can he give orders to European Fee presidents, apparently. Ursula von der Leyen additionally introduced her go to forward of time on Twitter — on the identical day {that a} Russian missile assault of a prepare station within the metropolis of Kramatorsk in japanese Ukraine killed over 50 folks. The place to begin of her journey was additionally made identified prematurely: the prepare station within the Polish city of Przemysl, simply round 13 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s go to happened nearly on the identical time. It had been deliberate for weeks however was postponed a number of instances for safety causes. It, too, was not imagined to be made public till afterwards, however it was the Ukrainian embassy in London that tweeted an image of Johnson whereas he was nonetheless in Kyiv with Zelenskyy.
Luxurious sleeper automobiles for VIPs
Even when secrecy is maintained, the Ukrainian railroad firm can not assure its VIP visitors full security and that there is not going to be missile assaults. Nevertheless it does attempt to make delegations as comfy as doable.
In keeping with a report by Radio Free Europe, one of many luxurious carriages used up to now few months was inbuilt 2014 to take rich vacationers to Crimea. It in all probability served this goal just a few instances earlier than the peninsula was annexed by Russia the identical 12 months. Different carriages getting used date again to the Soviet period however have been modernized a couple of years in the past. Many function king-size beds and flat-screen televisions. These used as assembly rooms have upholstered seats and leather-based armchairs.
Ursula von der Leyen on a quite luxurious prepare to Kyiv
However not everyone is given the complete VIP therapy. German Conservative opposition chief Friedrich Merz traveled to the Ukrainian capital in a first-class sleeper automotive, with solely a slim mattress and fold-out desk. Nonetheless, this was presumably significantly extra comfy than a number of the sleeper automobiles that also have wood beds.
After arriving, the politicians don’t normally spend a lot various hours in Kyiv. This may give them time to satisfy President Zelenskyy, go to the war-ravaged suburbs and maybe take pleasure in a meal. Johnson, for instance, ate rooster soup, a goat’s cheese salad, roast beef and cherry dumplings for dessert.
What’s essential is the symbolism, the images, the phrases and gestures of solidarity, and most significantly the assurances {that a} politician’s nation stands firmly with Ukraine.
Then it is again on the tracks for an extended return journey by way of a war-torn land.
This text was translated from German.
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