In a tour disrupted by the news of the death of imprisoned critic of the Kremlin Alexei Navalny, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a new long-term security agreement with France on Friday. He had previously secured a similar agreement and assistance from Germany.
At a crucial juncture in the war against Russia, Zelenskyy is travelling to Germany and France in an attempt to rally support for military action. As Russian forces come close to the eastern town of Avdiivka, Ukrainian forces are fighting to repel their advances, and the US is having difficulty passing a “vital” multibillion-dollar military aid package for Ukraine.
Alongside President Emmanuel Macron, Zelenskyy told reporters, “It’s an ambitious, very substantive security agreement. This is not an alternative to the United States. We are all together and this union is necessary to defeat Russia.”
Macron stated that Paris had offered 1.7 billion euros in 2022 and 2.1 billion euros in 2023. The 10-year security agreement with France includes commitments by Paris to deliver more arms, train soldiers, and send up to 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) in military aid to Ukraine in 2024.
Macron declared at a joint news conference that “our commitment to Ukraine will not weaken” and that the “Kremlin regime” had entered a new phase that was now overtly displaying increased aggression towards European nations.
“By helping our Ukrainian partner, we are investing in our security,” Macron stated. When the two leaders signed the agreement in the Elysee Palace, Zelenskyy, grinned and shook Macron’s hand. The agreement has been negotiated over the last some months.
