France’s Macron ‘changed for real’ on Ukraine, says Zelensky
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) with French President Emmanuel Macron, at a news conference in Kyiv, in June 2022.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron has undergone a significant change on his stance towards Ukraine after seeking to keep channels open to Russia in the early phase of the conflict, his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview published on Wednesday.
The interview was published by the Le Figaro daily just as Mr Zelensky was to arrive in Paris for his first visit to France since the invasion began almost one year ago.
Mr Zelensky had on occasion showed impatience with Mr Macron, who held frequent telephone talks with President Vladimir Putin even after the invasion and even expressed concern that Russia should not be humiliated in any final settlement.
But Mr Macron has now indicated France wants to support Ukraine until it emerges victorious in the conflict and announced it would send light tanks in a move that prompted Germany to follow suit with battle tanks.
“I believe he has changed,” said Mr Zelensky.
“And that he changed for real this time. After all, he (Macron) opened the door to tank deliveries.
“He also supported Ukraine’s candidacy for the EU. I believe it was a real signal. We had a lot of conversations with France, Germany and other countries. I believe that confidence is real today,” he added.
At the beginning of February, Paris pledged to deliver 12 new Caesar cannons,
Mr Zelensky was arriving in Paris late in the evening after a lavish and packed day of talks and ceremonies in Britain,
Dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris was arranged at the last minute, a source close to the issue told AFP.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was heading from Berlin to Paris specially for the occasion.
Initially, it was expected that Mr Zelensky would be in Brussels on Wednesday evening, ahead of a possible summit with EU leaders on Thursday.
In London, Mr Zelensky had an audience with King Charles III and was granted the rare honour of addressing parliament as a foreign head of state. AFP
