DÉFENSE ZONE
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a surprise visit to Paris on Sunday evening for a late working dinner with Emmanuel Macron. The meeting followed his visits to Italy and Germany, as Ukraine prepares its counter-offensive against Russia and needs greater military support from its allies.
As soon as he arrived at Vélizy-Villacoublay airport, Zelensky announced on Twitter his dinner with his “friend Emmanuel”, highlighting Ukraine’s progress in its defensive and offensive capabilities, as well as in its ties with Europe and the pressure on Russia.
The joint statement issued after the meeting states that France will continue its military support for Ukraine and is preparing new deliveries to meet the urgent need to strengthen the country’s defence capabilities. In the coming weeks, France will train and equip several battalions with armoured vehicles and light tanks, including AMX-10RCs. It will also focus on strengthening Ukraine’s air defence capabilities to protect its population against Russian attacks. In addition to its national contribution, France is actively involved in the support measures of the European Union and NATO, notably military assistance and the training of Ukrainian soldiers.
The French armed forces plan to train 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers in France and 4,000 in Poland this year. Although the question of combat aircraft was raised, it was stated that the pilots are not yet trained, making any delivery of aircraft premature. Instead, the emphasis is on the need for ammunition and on mobilising French and European industry to manufacture shells.
In order to maintain military effectiveness and the element of surprise, France has chosen to remain discreet about the exact nature of the equipment supplied, which explains why, unlike Germany, it does not disclose aid figures in billions of euros. Emmanuel Macron is nevertheless expected to discuss aid to Ukraine in more detail on TF1’s 8 pm television news this Monday, 15 May.
Before his visit to Paris, Volodymyr Zelensky secured major deals in Germany, where he held talks with the president and with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The German government announced the preparation of a new military aid package for Ukraine worth 2.7 billion euros, including tanks, armoured vehicles, surveillance drones and air defence systems. Zelensky welcomed Germany’s support, calling the country a “true friend” and a “reliable ally”.
Photo credit: European Union, 2023
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