Macron steps in to help Ukraine secure Patriot missiles, Zelenskyy says
Zelenskyy holds talks with Macron (photo: t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official)
Ukraine and France agree to speed up deliveries of advanced defense equipment and missiles. Paris is also ready to provide licenses for their production and help strengthen Ukraine's air defenses, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says.
Strengthening air defenses, missile assistance
The Ukrainian leader said he held an almost two-hour conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron. The key topic of the talks was Ukraine's need for air defense systems.
Zelenskyy briefed his French counterpart on the current situation regarding Russian strikes and thanked him for his condolences over the loss of lives.
"We greatly appreciate that the French president is ready to help communicate with our other partners who have the missiles needed for Patriot systems," the Ukrainian president said.
The two leaders also discussed France's immediate air defense capabilities.
Diplomacy, defense funding
The presidents also discussed coordinating efforts on the international stage and cooperation with the United States.
"We also discussed the state of diplomatic work with our partners and communication with the US president's team. We agreed on steps that could open up additional diplomatic opportunities," Zelenskyy said.
The two sides also addressed Ukraine's defense funding needs for this year and next and agreed on bilateral defense arrangements to be implemented as quickly as possible.
Efforts to strengthen air defenses, Ukraine's response
As previously reported, Ukraine and its partners are looking for ways to urgently meet the country's air defense needs ahead of the winter season.
In particular, Germany is actively negotiating with European allies and the United States on providing Ukraine with missiles for Patriot air defense systems. According to media reports, Germany prepares for talks with US officials to resolve the issue.
At the same time, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry stresses that the country needs at least 300 Patriot missiles to effectively protect civilian infrastructure and get through the coming winter.
As Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has said, Ukraine is literally "fighting tooth and nail" for air defense missiles, with the battle continuing for every piece of weaponry.
