After Rome, the meeting with Pope Francis and the passage to Berlin to restore the safety of the German Leopard tanks for the counter-offensive, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky landed sunday night in franceat the Villacoublay military base, to meet his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron during a working dinner.
While Ukraine refines the counter-offensive on the military front with Russia to Bakhmut, prime minister elizabeth endured He welcomed him at the base to accompany him to the Elysée, together with Foreign Minister Caterina Colona. He arrived on a second Falcon jet from the French Republic. His delegation and their security arrived on the first Falcon jet. The aircraft has a protected communication service and a military crew.
With the honors of the Republican Guard at the Elysée, President Macron received Zelenski with a state visit protocol. They pose for photographers, shake hands and enter the building to eat.
second visit
In his classic khaki uniform, Zelensky he doesn’t want to leave France without ammunitionNo more Franco-French long-range Storm Shadow missiles, no fighter planes like the Mirages, which are confiscated by the French but Dassault has them in storage, tanks and rockets, like the Exocet or Matra missiles. He travels in a heavily guarded armored van.
Ukraine cannot launch its counteroffensive if its logistics are not sorted out: fuel, ammunition, weapons, brigades ready, goals and intelligence.
Zelensky arrived in Paris late in the afternoon. The Ukrainian head of state arrived in Italy and the Vatican on Saturday, and this Sunday in Germany, with tight security measures. There are always risks of attack in its presence.
In his hyper-safe convoy he passed the Eiffel Tower, the Russian Orthodox cultural center, the Invalides, the French Chancellery, the National Assembly, the Place de la Concorde and finally the Elysee Palace.
This is the second visit of the Ukrainian head of state in Paris since the beginning of the Russian offensive in his country, in February 2022. Macron had already received him on February 8 at the Elysée, together with the German chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Macron “will reaffirm France’s unwavering support” in a visit that is not an official one but a business visit.
The Elysium confirmed the visit in a statement released at the beginning of the afternoon, explaining that the heads of state will discuss “Ukraine’s emergencies, on a military and humanitarian level”.
“As long as the country continues to suffer bombings, especially on civilian infrastructure, the President of the Republic he will reaffirm the unwavering support of France and Europe to restore Ukraine’s legitimate rights and defend its fundamental interests,” the presidency added.
Also at the center of the discussions between the Heads of State was “the support that France continues to provide in response to Ukraine’s urgent military and humanitarian needs”, as well as “the longer-term prospects for the return of peace to Europe”.
Praise Germany
Zelensky praised the military support provided by Germany, which he described as “true friend” and “trusted ally”, after the announcement of a new delivery of weapons to support the counter-offensive that is being prepared against Russia.
After months of Ukrainian anger over the German government’s delay in delivering the weapons requested by Kyiv, the time has come for harmony between the two countries.
Zelensky was received by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz with military honors on Sunday morning. He immediately received the Charlemagne Prize, an award that rewards the commitment to European unification, in Aix-la-Chapelle (west). Then he went to Paris.
During his visit to Berlin, Zelensky openly called on Olaf Scholz to support the efforts of various Kiev allies. deliver fighter planes to repel the Russian invasion.
“We are currently working on creating a coalition of fighter aircraft,” Zelenski said. “I will also ask Germany to support Ukraine in this coalition,” he added during a joint press conference with the German chancellor, who has so far refused to deliver planes directly to Ukraine.
The German chancellor replied: “I have said it many times and I will say it again today. We will support them as long as necessary.”This was stated by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at a joint press conference. He added that Berlin’s support for Kiev, including arms, so far amounts to 17 billion euros. .
Planned deliveries include dozens of tanks, armored vehicles, surveillance drones and four new Iris-T air defense systems. The UK has announced the supply of Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine, becoming the first country to deliver this type of long-range weapon, which can strike up to 250km.
In Italy
Before his visit to Berlin, the Ukrainian president he was received on Saturday in Rome by Pope Francis and Italian leaders. This European tour comes amid preparations for a Ukrainian army offensive, as Kiev and Moscow claim success in and around Bakhmout in the Donbas region.
The Ukrainian president was received in the early morning of this Sunday May 14 by the German head of state Frank-Walter Steinmeier and by the chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, to seal the promise to deliver 2.7 billion euros of weapons announced for Germany.
After Rome and the Vatican the day before, this is the Ukrainian president’s first trip to Germany since the beginning of the conflict. He praised Germany’s support, which he called a “true friend” and a “trusted ally”.
Zelensky is currently trying to rally support in Europe as his army prepares a counteroffensive in the east of the country against Russian forces, while Kiev and Moscow claim successes in and around Bakhmut in the Donbas region.
It’s up to Kyiv to try to regain ground in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions (east), as well as Kherson and Zaporiya (south), which Moscow has claimed as annexes.
Zelensky assured this this Sunday did not want to “attack Russian territory” but he only wanted to “liberate the illegally conquered territories.”
pp
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.