German Chancellor Olaf Scholz looks on during a joint news conference with Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov (not pictured) after their meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria, June 11, 2022. REUTERS/Spasiyana Sergieva

FRANKFURT, June 11 (Reuters) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will travel to Kyiv with his counterparts from France and Italy before the Group of Seven summit at the end of June, the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported on Saturday.

It cited French and Ukrainian government sources.

A German government spokesperson told Reuters: “We are not able to confirm this.” The Elysee Palace in Paris and the Italian government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

None of the three leaders has been to Kyiv since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February.

French President Emmanuel Macron has sought to maintain a dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the war began.

His stance has been criticised by some eastern and Baltic partners in Europe as they see it as undermining efforts to push Putin to the negotiating table. read more

Reporting by Andreas Rinke, Mathieu Rosemain, Angelo Amante, and Tom Sims; Editing by Angus MacSwan

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