“Boosting Ukraine’s air defence”: Macron and Zelenskyy’s call talks

Presidents of Ukraine and France, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron, had a telephone conversation. The heads of two states discussed strengthening Ukraine’s air defence long-range and naval capabilities, the Ukrainian President’s website reports.

France is one of the Western nations providing Ukraine with significant military aid, including in the air defence sector, to help Ukrainians protect civilian infrastructure from Russian missile and drone attacks.

“It is important that all our agreements on strengthening defence support from France are being implemented. I appreciate it very much,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said and thanked France for its help.

Macron and Zelenskyy discussed the situation on the battlefield and the most urgent needs of the Ukrainian military in the war against the Russian invaders.

The French and Ukrainian presidents also exchanged views on the functioning of the grain corridor to export Ukrainian grain and ways to strengthen its protection from Russian attacks.

In addition, the Presidents touched upon further macro-financial support for our country, mainly through the new Ukraine Facility. Zelenskyy noted the importance of starting negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.

“Special attention was paid to further steps to implement the Ukrainian peace formula. Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed about the preparation of the next meeting at the level of national security advisers and foreign policy advisers to the leaders of states,” the Presidential Administration reported.

Macron and Zelenskyy also discussed the situation in the Middle East, the war between Israel and Hamas, and stressed the importance of protecting civilians and the inadmissibility of escalating the security situation in the region.

Earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the two countries’ governments discussed joint further support for Ukraine in the war against Russia.

The Chancellor noted that Germany and France will also support Ukraine in the long term.

According to Scholtz, the partner nations will work to “reduce the consequences of the Russian bombing terror against the civilian population of Ukraine as much as possible in the autumn and winter”. Scholz reminded that Germany will provide Ukraine with another Patriot system, strengthening the protection of critical infrastructure and the energy system.

Macron, in turn, stressed that the meeting made it possible to once again demonstrate full solidarity with Ukraine and support for the country in its fight against Russian aggression.