Summary
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy landed in Paris on Sunday ahead of his bilateral talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. “Paris. With each visit, Ukraine’s defense and offensive capabilities are expanding,” Zelensky tweeted as he arrived on Sunday evening at the airbase of Villacoublay southwest of Paris. The French leader’s office said the pair would discuss France’s “support” in responding to “Ukraine’s urgent military and humanitarian needs” during a dinner at the presidential palace.
During his visit to Germany, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, was awarded the prestigious Charlemagne prize on behalf of the Ukrainian people on Sunday in honour of services to Europe, the Associated Press reports. Zelenskiy received the award, which honours services to European unification, in the western city of Aachen with the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, after the two leaders held talks in Berlin.
Russia has “already lost geopolitically” its war in Ukraine and is transforming into a vassal state of China, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, said in an interview with Opinion newspaper published on Sunday. “De facto, it has entered a form of subservience with regards to China and has lost its access to the Baltic, which was critical, because it prompted the decision by Sweden and Finland to join Nato,” said Macron.
Zelenskiy thanked Germany for its support and what he called the largest military aid package since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion as he met with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, in Berlin.
The trip came after the German government announced a new military package worth €2.7bn as Ukrainian forces prepare for a counteroffensive to reclaim territory captured by Russia.
The UK Ministry of Defence said Russian forces were much diminished since the start of the war, with troops consisting of mostly poorly trained mobilised reservists and increasingly reliant on antiquated equipment, with many of its units severely under strength.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy landed in Paris on Sunday ahead of his bilateral talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.
“Paris. With each visit, Ukraine’s defense and offensive capabilities are expanding,” Zelensky tweeted as he arrived on Sunday evening at the airbase of Villacoublay southwest of Paris, Agence France-Presse reports.
“The ties with Europe are getting stronger, and the pressure on Russia is growing.”
Paris. With each visit, Ukraine's defense and offensive capabilities are expanding. The ties with Europe are getting stronger, and the pressure on Russia is growing. I will have a meeting with my friend Emanuel and we will talk through the most important points of bilateral…
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 14, 2023
Macron shortly afterwards welcomed Zelensky to the Elysee Palace, for the second time since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
The French leader’s office said the pair would discuss France’s “support” in responding to “Ukraine’s urgent military and humanitarian needs” during a dinner at the presidential palace.
