French President Emmanuel Macron helped convince German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to grant Ukraine EU candidate status.

"Despite the well-known popularity of President Macron on Ukrainian Facebook, I must say he played a significant role in finding the right approach in communication with the Chancellor of Germany. No matter how strange it may sound to some of us," Kuleba said in an interview with lb.ua.

He said Germany and the Netherlands were the most skeptical regarding the candidacy. They believed Ukraine should be granted something but nothing related to the legal promise of EU membership.

"The Prime Minister of Italy, Mario Draghi, played a significant role. I will remind you that a month ago, after the European Council meeting, Draghi claimed he was the only leader of a major European state who directly supported the EU candidate status for Ukraine. It appeared and quickly disappeared from the news, but it was true. So, they had a meeting at the European Council. Everyone was sitting quietly. Draghi took responsibility and said: "I support, I am in favor." He wanted to show the candidacy support was coming not only from our traditional best friends - Poles, the Balts, and other countries. He wanted to show that a large country, traditionally more favorable to Russia, made a strategic decision for itself. The role of these people really cannot be underestimated," said Kuleba.

Scholz, Macron, and Draghi arrived in Kyiv shortly before the EU summit and officially announced their support for granting Ukraine EU candidate status.

The EU awarded Ukraine and Moldova candidate status on June 23.