The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky is visiting Paris this Friday to meet Emmanuel Macron. An important agreement between the two heads of state is at stake.
This Friday, Emmanuel Macron receives Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris. This is the third visit of the Ukrainian head of state to the French capital since those of February and May 2023. A visit which should allow the two men to sign a bilateral security agreement between the two at the Elysée. country. An “agreement which follows the commitments which had been made in G7 format on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius in July 2023” recalls the French presidency.
A bilateral agreement signed and French production directly in Ukraine?
“This is about showing that our determination to provide support to theUkraine is as strong as on the first day” affirmed the Elysée. Indeed, the discussions should be centered around Ukraine’s needs on the military, economic and humanitarian levels. The situation on the front should be addressed, at the in the same way as Ukraine’s accession negotiations to theEuropean Union. The substance of the Franco-Ukrainian text will be known Friday evening.
The text should in particular include numerical data to lift the veil on the criticisms made about French deliveries to Ukraine deemed too opaque. Emmanuel Macron could “establish a new logic, that of the direct production of arms for Ukraine” we can read in the columns of Le Figaro. For now, only an order for 18 Caesar cannons has been formalized and basic training for Ukrainian pilots by the French air force has begun. Since the start of the war, 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers have also been trained by the French army.
The threat of abandoning American aid to Ukraine
As a reminder, in July 2023 during the NATO summit in Vilnius, the allies refused to immediately invite Ukraine to join the alliance. Particularly under the influence of UNITED STATES and Germany, judging the situation too dangerous and fearing an escalation of violence. From now on, Volodymyr Zelensky continues his visits to Europe to try to attract the support of as many people as possible. He is also expected in Berlin this Friday, where he will be received by Chancellor Olaf Scholz. An agreement similar to that of Paris should also be signed.
At the end of this marathon, the Ukrainian president could sign 25 different agreements, greatly reinforcing the idea of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union in the coming months. On the other hand, the prospect of a sudden end to American aid to Ukraine in view of the presidential election and a possible victory for Donald Trump at the end of the year greatly worries Europe. Faced with this risk, combined with the American desire to fight – perhaps as a priority – against the Chinese threat, Europe intends to mobilize. This is the whole point of the meeting between Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky, this Friday February 16, 2024 in Paris.