Pressure mounts on Macron to visit Ukraine as French EU presidency draws to a close

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, at the Elysée Palace, on December 9, 2019 in Paris, France. The French head of state is under pressure to visit Kyiv before France's presidency of the EU comes to a close at the end of June. Aurelien Morissard/IP3 - Aurelien Morissard

French president Emmanuel Macron is coming under increasing pressure to visit Ukraine before France's tenure at the helm of the European presidency comes to an end. The calls come as US president Joe Biden has promised Kyiv advanced rocket systems that analysts say could turn the tide against the Russian assault on Ukraine's Donbas region.

Speaking on Tuesday, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on French President Emmanuel Macron to visit his country before the end of France's EU presidency on 30 June.