The French and Ukrainian presidents spoke this Saturday by telephone about the situation on the front and kyiv’s needs for weapons and ammunition. “The President of the Republic reiterated France’s determination to provide all the necessary support, over the long term and with all of its partners, to defeat Russia’s war of aggression,” according to a source from the Elysée.
The French and Ukrainian presidents, Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky, discussed on Saturday by telephone the situation on the front and “Ukraine’s needs” in arms and ammunition. “We talked about the situation on the battlefield and Ukraine’s defense needs, which include drones, artillery and ammunition, electronic warfare and air defense systems,” he said. wrote Mr. Zelensky on X. He described the call as “very positive and concrete”, thanking France for its “unwavering support”.
The Elysée confirmed that the two leaders had discussed “the evolution of the situation on the ground and the needs of Ukraine”. “The President of the Republic reiterated France’s determination to provide all the necessary support, over the long term and with all of its partners, to defeat Russia’s war of aggression,” according to the same source. . The two men also spoke about the bilateral defense agreement that France and Ukraine are soon considering concluding, following the example of the one recently concluded by kyiv with the United Kingdom.
An escalation of tensions with Russia
France’s support for Ukraine has in recent weeks caused an escalation of tensions with Russia, which has castigated French “militarist frenzy” in the face of the promise of new arms deliveries to kyiv. Russian Ambassador to France Alexei Mechkov was summoned to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday after the death of two French humanitarian workers in Russian strikes in Ukraine the previous week. Paris also says it is the target of a “resurgence of disinformation targeting France” and maintained by Moscow.