Global Courant 2023-05-15 07:44:05
PARIS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise visit to Paris on Sunday, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The two leaders condemned the Russia-Ukraine war in a joint statement after a three-hour meeting at the Elysee Palace.
Russia must immediately and unconditionally withdraw its forces from Ukraine, especially from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, where “the irresponsible capture and militarization of the Russian armed forces poses a serious threat.”
The statement also underlined France’s commitment to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“France will continue its political, financial, humanitarian and military support to Ukraine individually and through international cooperation in the European Union, NATO, United Nations and other formats,” the statement said.
In the statement, it was noted that France will train many battalions in the coming weeks and equip them with dozens of armored vehicles and light tanks.
Paris also said it would focus its efforts on “supporting Ukraine’s air defense capabilities”.
The statement also noted that the two leaders “agreed on the need to increase collective pressure on Russia through more sanctions to undermine Russia’s ability to continue its war of illegal aggression.”
France also stressed the importance of Ukraine’s “consistent efforts to continue the Black Sea Grain Initiative aimed at improving global food security and launch the Grain Humanitarian Program from Ukraine”.
Visiting Rome on Saturday, Zelenskyy met with the Italian president and prime minister, while on an official visit to Berlin on Sunday, he met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
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