Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will make a surprise visit to Paris for talks Sunday night with French President Emmanuel Macron, extending a multi-stop European tour that has elicited fresh pledges of additional military support as his country gears up for a counteroffensive against Russian occupation forces . Macron will have dinner meeting with Zelenskiy later on Sunday in Paris, during which France will reaffirm its military and humanitarian support for Ukraine, the French presidency said. Macron’s office announced the Paris leg of Zelenskyy’s trip, and France dispatched a plane to pick up Zelenskyy in Germany, where he met Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier Sunday. On Saturday, Zelenskiy met Italian leaders, and Pope Francis, in Rome. The Associated Press has the story:
Zelenskyy to make surprise visit to Paris
Newslooks- PARIS (AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will make a surprise visit to Paris for talks Sunday night with French President Emmanuel Macron, extending a multi-stop European tour that has elicited fresh pledges of additional military support as his country gears up for a counteroffensive against Russian occupation forces
Macron’s office announced the Paris leg of Zelenskyy’s trip, and France dispatched a plane to pick up Zelenskyy in Germany, where he met Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier Sunday. Zelenskyy said Sunday that his country is preparing a counteroffensive designed to liberate areas occupied by Russia, not to attack Russian territory. Speaking during a news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s goal is to free the territories within its internationally recognized borders.
The Washington Post cited previously undisclosed documents from a trove of U.S. intelligence leaks suggesting that Zelenskyy has considered trying to capture areas in Russia proper for possible use as bargaining chips in peace negotiations to end the war launched by Moscow in February 2022. This would put him at odds with Western governments who have insisted that weapons they provide must not be used to attack targets in Russia.
Macron’s office said the two leaders will hold talks over dinner and that Macron will “reaffirm France and Europe’s unwavering support to reestablish Ukraine in its legitimate rights and to defend its fundamental interests.”
