Paris, Nov. 17 - French President Emmanuel Macron will meet today with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, who announced the preparation of a "historic agreement" in the fields of aviation and air defense in Paris.
The Élysée clarified that this visit, Zelensky's ninth to France since the start of the conflict with Russia in February 2022, will reaffirm the commitment to support Kiev in a war that Moscow describes as a "special military operation" to prevent NATO's further expansion towards its borders, which the West labels as "aggression."
According to the French Presidency, the meeting will also serve to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine once a ceasefire is reached, which currently seems like a distant scenario as the peace initiative promoted by the United States has stalled.
France plans to emphasize long-term support for the Eastern European country within the context of the so-called coalition of volunteers, a mechanism of more than 30 nations—mostly European—that it leads alongside the United Kingdom, a group that Russia accuses of getting involved in the war and complicating efforts to end it.
Zelensky hinted on social media that a "historic agreement" is being prepared with Paris to significantly strengthen Ukrainian combat aviation, air defense, and other defensive capabilities.
French media reports suggest that this could involve sending multipurpose Rafale fighters, the most modern in the French arsenal, in addition to the Mirage 2000s already supplied.
The leaders are also expected to address the sensitive issue of deploying multinational troops in Ukraine once the conflict is halted, a plan that Russia vehemently opposes.
Almost all countries in the coalition of volunteers have shown willingness to mobilize forces for Ukrainian soil, which is why France and the United Kingdom are working on its projection.
