French President Emmanuel Macron signed a bilateral security agreement with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris on Friday to provide “long-term support” to the warring country.
Earlier this year, Macron announced that France was negotiating a bilateral agreement, based on the model Ukraine recently agreed with the United Kingdom, that would run for 10 years and include a £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion; €2.92 billion) package over the next financial year.
The G7 has promised to provide arms and military equipment, including combat aircraft, as well as additional military training for the Ukrainian army. Zelensky asked that those guarantees be in place at least until Ukraine joins NATO.
The French-Ukrainian agreement will include financial and economic support in addition to defence and security commitments, an official familiar with the deal stated on condition of anonymity.
Macron and Zelensky discussed the situation on the front line, Ukraine’s military, economic and humanitarian needs, as well as talks on the country’s efforts to join the European Union, which France fully supported.
Before travelling to Paris, Zelensky visited Berlin, where he met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Zelensky’s meeting with the German and French leaders comes amid growing concern in Kyiv over the possible withdrawal of US military support.
The Ukrainian leader will attend the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, where he will hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines, including with US Vice President Kamala Harris, Czech President Petr Pavel, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
Zelensky’s trip also comes after leaders of the 27-nation European Union signed an agreement earlier this month to provide Ukraine with 50 billion euros ($54 billion) to support its stricken economy.
