Zelenskyy in Berlin, Paris for security pacts
PARIS: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will travel to Berlin and Paris on Friday to sign security pacts with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Zelenskyy’s trip to the European Union’s two largest countries comes as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine enters its third year.
Kyiv’s troops face an increasingly difficult situation on the eastern frontlines because of ammunition shortages and fresh Russian attacks.
Zelenskyy and Scholz were due to forge a bilateral security pact on Friday covering Ukraine’s “long-term security commitments and support,” the German government said.
“This agreement follows commitments made within the G7 format on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius in July 2023,” Macron’s office said on Thursday.
NATO leaders did not set a timetable for Ukraine to join the bloc, but the G7 countries pledged to provide Ukraine with long-term security support.
“We are determined to defeat this bet that Russia is making” on “the long term, of us running out of steam,” a presidential adviser said.
The United Kingdom and Ukraine signed a bilateral security agreement in January, and Kyiv is in talks with other countries.
Such security deals may include the provision of modern military equipment and the training of Ukrainian soldiers.
Zelenskyy’s office also said he would address the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, where he will hold talks with US Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Ukrainian leader was also scheduled to hold meetings with the leaders of the Czech Republic, Denmark and the Netherlands.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, France has been one of Kyiv’s top supporters.