French President Emmanuel Macron said that France will continue to support Ukraine on all platforms, expressing hope that negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union (EU) will begin by the end of June.
Macron hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who arrived accompanied by his wife Olena Zelensky, at the Elysee Palace in the French capital, Paris.
After the meeting, the French president reiterated that France is not waging war against Russia, nor does it want escalation, but this does not mean that Russia will be allowed to impose restrictions on Franco-Ukrainian military cooperation, or take away Ukraine’s right to defend itself.
He also announced a support fund of 200 million euros, intended for key infrastructure in Ukraine.
Macron said that France is working in a coalition with other countries with the aim of sending military instructors to Ukraine, refusing to say which countries are in question.
Zelenski expressed gratitude to France for its support and said that Europe must remain an area of peace and freedom, not violence.
He added that next week’s summit in Switzerland “will certainly be a step towards ending the war”.
Macron said he would attend the summit and planned to visit Ukraine, adding that he expected the summit in Switzerland to be “an important step towards building lasting peace” in Ukraine.
The two countries signed four agreements, the first on the Infrastructure Fund of Ukraine, the second on the opening of the French Development Agency office in Ukraine, the third on progress in cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and the last on cooperation in the field of defense industry, Anadolu writes.
