Zelenskyy praises Macron for leadership in Europe: Developing strategic perspective

Thus, the head of state noted "French leadership in Europe."

"We appreciate the way President Macron is developing a strategic perspective for Europe, a perspective of real, lasting security, which is possible only thanks to Putin's loss in this war," Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy on assistance to Ukraine from other countries

In his speech, the Ukrainian president also noted "all our friends in the world who have helped us this week, provided us with new support packages, made new decisions for the sake of Ukrainian strength."

In particular, he spoke about the support decisions announced this week by the United States, Denmark, Greece, Germany, and Canada:

• "The United States - thank you for the aid package. And stability must be restored in support of our defense. Right now, and it is our, Ukrainian defense in this war that decides whether Putin will be able to expand the zone of ruins in Europe and the world. Stopping him now is the most beneficial for everyone," Zelenskyy said.
• The President thanked Denmark for another, already the 16th package of defense assistance, in particular for artillery.
• "Germany - thank you for your weekly steps to support our country and people. I am grateful to all the countries that have joined the Czech initiative to purchase shells for Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.
• He also praised Greece for "a clear understanding of the threats to everyone in Europe."
• "Canada, thank you for joining our drone coalition. This is a weapon that has proven to be extremely effective. And in such difficult conditions of war, the short-sightedness of our army is an obvious short-sightedness of some partners," Zelenskyy said.

Macron's statements on sending troops to Ukraine

At the end of February, French President Emmanuel Macron did not rule out the possibility that NATO might send troops to help Ukraine. However, there was no consensus at the time.

Later, Macron clarified that French troops could be sent to Ukraine if Russian troops attacked Kyiv or Odesa again.

A number of NATO countries opposed this idea, including Germany, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Poland, Spain, and Italy. At the same time, some countries are ready to consider such a possibility, including Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.

On March 14, Macron again made a statement about French troops in Ukraine. He emphasized that this option is not ruled out. On March 16, in an interview with the Ukrainian media, the French president assured that he wanted to avoid escalation amid Russia's ongoing military aggression and his initiatives to potentially send Western troops to Ukraine.