French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that France is willing to train Ukrainian pilots, along with other European countries, to help the country "resist the Russian offensive", but still does not talk about sending planes, as requested by Kiev. It is "about sending more ammunition and training," he said in an interview on TF1 television after meeting on Sunday with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski.

"France's strategy is simple, to help Ukraine resist and organize, when it decides, a counteroffensive to be able to bring everyone to the negotiating table and under the conditions it chooses and build a lasting peace for it," Macron told TF1.

"We are determined to send more ammunition," said the president, who recalled that the training of pilots can begin "from now." "We do not wage war against Russia, but help Ukraine to resist," he said, to clarify that weapons are not sent that "allow us to reach Russia."

On Sunday, Zelenskiy passed through Paris after visiting Italy and Germany over the weekend, and before meeting British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Britain on Monday. It has already been open to training pilots and sending hundreds of air defense missiles and long-range offensive drones.

This European tour comes just as Kiev plans a counteroffensive against Russia. In Paris Macron and Zelenski dined on Sunday, a meeting of about three hours in which they discussed "the needs of Ukraine, in the humanitarian and military field."

In a joint statement after the evening, Paris announced that in the coming weeks it will equip Ukrainian battalions with light battle tanks (AMX 10C) and armored vehicles, but the Elysee advanced that Macron would detail the aid on Monday. "France concentrates its efforts on supporting Ukraine's air defense capabilities so that it can defend itself from Russian air strikes."

In its joint statement, Paris stresses that it maintains "unwavering support for the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine" and called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from the country, also from the "internationally recognized borders" and the Zaporiya plant.

Ukraine is trying to regain ground in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk (east), as well as in Kherson and Zaporizhia (south), while fighting is focused on Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine. On the diplomatic front, senior Chinese envoy Li Hui will embark on a two-day visit to Kiev on Tuesday, a Ukrainian government official told AFP.

  • Ukraine
  • Paris
  • Russia
  • France
  • Ministry of Defence
  • United Kingdom
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Emmanuel Macron

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