French President Emmanuel Macron assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that "Europe is by your side, it will remain so as long as necessary" during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday, AFP reported.

Emmanuel Macron also called on Russia "to accept that the United Nations organize the export of cereals" from Ukraine in order to find a solution to the world food crisis.

Also Read: Macron, Scholz, Draghi arrive in Kyiv: AFP

Macron, Scholz and Draghi arrived in Kyiv on Thursday, an AFP reporter traveling with the trio said.

AFP images showed the leaders descending from the train onto a platform in the Ukrainian capital.

Asked by a journalist why he had come to Ukraine, Macron said: "For a message of European unity".

It is their first trip to Ukraine since the Russian military operation on the country launched on February 24.

The visit comes as Ukraine is pushing to be given official candidate status to join the European Union.