"Merci, France": Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj ended his speech to the two chambers of the French Parliament with a thank you.

For almost twenty minutes he spoke about our "common freedom" which must be defended, from Kyiv to Paris, from Berlin to Madrid.

He praised the commitment of French President Emmanuel Macron, with whom he often exchanged views.

"He's showing real leadership," said Zelensky, wearing an olive T-shirt during the live video feed.

Ukraine continues to expect the French government to exert influence so that Russia finally agrees to a ceasefire.

Michael Wiegel

Political correspondent based in Paris.

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Selenskyj did not skimp on criticism, but unlike in the Bundestag, it was not aimed at politicians but at companies.

The car manufacturer Renault, the hardware store chain Leroy Merlin and the supermarket chain Auchan should no longer remain “the sponsors of the Russian war machine”.

The President demanded that all French companies cut their business ties and exit the Russian market.

He did not mention the oil company Total Energies by name.

“You have to stop funding the murder of children and women and rape.

Values ​​are more important than profits,” he said.

In his welcome speech, right-wing Senate President Gérard Larcher emphasized how extraordinary Zelenskyj's speech to both chambers of parliament was.

"For the first time in our parliamentary history, we are receiving a President whose country is at war, whose capital is undergoing airstrikes that are increasing in intensity at this moment," Larcher said.

There was war at the gates of the EU.

The Ukrainian people put up heroic resistance.

Nothing can justify “the murderous madness of those responsible in Russia”.

“The time has come to tell us what you expect from our country.

Do not doubt our support!” said the Senate President.

Ukraine is fighting for "democracy, humanism, freedom, in short, for European civilization," said Larcher.

The President of the National Assembly, Richard Ferrand (LREM), recalled that Zelenskyy reserved his first trip abroad in 2019 to France.

France wants to stand by Ukraine and help where it can, he said.

Nobody wanted to be absent from Parliament on Wednesday.

Marine Le Pen specifically canceled an election campaign date.

She is trying to make her long-standing support from the Kremlin forget.

She condemns the Russian war, but rejects stricter sanctions such as an oil and gas embargo against Russia.

The right-wing populist adopts the argument of the German traffic light coalition.

Consumers cannot be expected to pay higher energy prices.

Le Pen's spokesman Sébastien Chénu warned that a recession with rising unemployment is also to be feared.

At the beginning of his speech, Zelenskyy asked the senators and members of parliament to stand for a minute's silence for the victims of the war.

The members of the Paris City Council who had been invited to the video transmission also rose.

The images from Mariupol were reminiscent of those from Verdun, he said.

The comparison with the First World War, when German troops in trench warfare transformed large areas into landscapes of ruins, did not fail to have an impact.

Selenskyj looked back at the four-party negotiation format "Normandy", which he found after his election to the presidency.

There was a glimmer of hope in 2019 when Russia agreed to a prisoner exchange.

But February 24th bombed all hopes of Franco-German mediation.

The President campaigned in front of Parliament for new, tougher EU sanctions against Russia "so that freedom can triumph".

He also called for increased arms deliveries without naming a specific need.

In contrast to Germany, France has refused to provide precise information on the arms deliveries in order to give the Russian side as little information as possible.

"We expect from France, from its leadership, that our territorial integrity will be restored," stressed Zelenskyj.

"We hope that under the French EU Presidency, a unique and historic decision will be made in favor of Ukraine's EU accession," he said.

Zelenskyy did not confirm the accusation made by the British side that President Macron spoke too often to Putin and aroused mistrust in the Ukrainian government.

Macron has spoken to Zelenskyy 17 times since the war began.

There were eight talks with Putin, two of them with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

After the latest talks with Putin on Tuesday, Macron said he was "on Ukraine's side".

"There can be no other way out than a ceasefire and negotiations between Russia and Ukraine," the Elysee said.

The assessment of the situation in Paris is very pessimistic.

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has repeatedly pointed out that Putin's warfare consists of feigning a willingness to negotiate while at the same time pursuing the war aims with brute force.