Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski met with French President Emmanuel Macron in the capital Paris as part of his visit to France.
According to the statement made by the Office of the President of Ukraine, the meeting focused on France’s military support to Ukraine, especially on Ukraine’s priority needs to protect its airspace and increase its defense capabilities. During the meeting, it was stated that France’s support for Ukraine’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration and the steps that Ukraine will take towards NATO membership were discussed. Zelenski emphasized that Ukraine, in response to its application for membership in the alliance, expects certain political decisions from the NATO Summit to be held in July in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Zelenski expressed hope that France will support the joint decision of the allies to form a “coalition of warplanes that Ukraine has long been looking forward to”. It was stated that the leaders also discussed cooperation for the effective implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula.
“FRANCE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AS IS NECESSARY”
French President Macron also said in a statement on the meeting on his social media account that he and Zelenski were evaluating the operational needs of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s aggression. “France will continue to provide political, financial, humanitarian and military support to the Ukrainians as long as necessary. In this context, we will train several Ukrainian battalions in the coming weeks and equip them with dozens of armored vehicles and light tanks. France will continue its efforts to help protect its people against Russian attacks,” Macron said. It focuses on air defense capabilities,” he said.
“2 MOBILE DNA LABORATORIES SENT”
Stating that two mobile DNA laboratories have been sent to the field to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to prosecute war crimes, Macron said, “This assistance will increasingly continue. We reaffirm our support, together with Ukraine, to the investigations of the International Criminal Court to bring perpetrators of war crimes to justice.” made the statement.
Regarding Ukraine’s peace plan, Macron said, “France supports Ukraine’s initiative for a just and lasting peace. The Ukrainian peace plan includes a number of important goals that France is currently working on. We are ready to do our best to mobilize the international community. ” said. It was also emphasized once again that France is committed to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
CALL TO WITHDRAW TO RUSSIA
After the meeting, France and Ukraine issued a joint statement, once again condemning Russia’s war against Ukraine. It was stressed that Russia should “immediately, completely and unconditionally” withdraw all military forces from Ukraine’s territory within its internationally recognized borders. In addition, there was a call for Russia’s withdrawal from the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).