French President Emmanuel Macron will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris on Thursday, marking Zelensky’s fifth visit to the French capital since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The talks, scheduled for 1300 GMT, are expected to further underscore France’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression, according to the French presidency.
This meeting follows Macron’s visit to a military training camp in eastern France on Wednesday, where he met Ukrainian soldiers being trained by French forces. The specific location of the camp remains undisclosed for security reasons. Macron’s visit was seen as a rare gesture of solidarity, as he observed the progress of a brigade of 2,300 Ukrainian troops receiving training on French soil. The brigade is named “Anne of Kyiv” after the Ukrainian princess who married France’s King Henri I in the 11th century.
“The training is going very well. The Ukrainian soldiers are progressing faster than we thought,” said Colonel Paul, a senior French military officer whose full name was withheld per standard protocol. French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu and Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who accompanied Macron, also praised the troops’ advancement. Macron commended the soldiers for their resilience and determination, stating, “You have made significant progress through your actions and resistance.”
The French Army is training half of the 4,500-strong brigade, while the other half remains in Ukraine for additional training. France is equipping the brigade with substantial military hardware, including 128 frontline armored vehicles, 18 Caesar cannons, over 18 AMX-10 vehicles, 20 Milan anti-tank missile posts, and 10 TRM trucks for support missions. Macron also confirmed in June that France would deliver Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine, with Ukrainian pilots and mechanics already undergoing training on the aircraft.
France has trained over 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers across various specialties since the start of the war, reaffirming its deep commitment to Ukraine’s defense efforts. The Elysee Palace emphasized that Thursday’s meeting will allow Macron to reiterate France’s long-term support for Ukraine, in coordination with its international partners.
Zelensky, in addition to meeting Macron, is also expected to meet with the leaders of Britain, Germany, and Italy later this week.
