Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron discussed measures against Russian air attacks and accelerating the development of a European missile defense system. Zelensky announced the meeting in a post on Facebook, reports Focus.
“A very meaningful meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. We appreciate that France is helping, as much as possible, to find ways to respond to Russian escalation“, the Ukrainian head of state wrote.
During the conversation, Russia launched a drone strike on Ukraine's energy infrastructure in Lutsk, as a result of which parts of the city were left without electricity. Zelensky described the attacks as demonstrative and insidious terror, which he said has been repeated almost continuously in recent days.
“Russia demonstratively ignored the US president's proposal for a ceasefire in the energy sector. And now it is taking advantage of the problems with Starlink operations to cause maximum destruction to everything that supports everyday life,“ Zelensky said.
The two presidents discussed various options for countering the Russian strikes. The Ukrainian leader announced that new packages to strengthen the country's air capabilities are expected to be announced later this month. According to him, work on a European missile defense system will also be accelerated, with the goal of FREYJA being operational by the end of the year.
Zelensky also thanked France for granting licenses for weapons production in Ukraine. He confirmed that all the licenses promised by Paris have already been received, and stressed the need for their rapid implementation at a practical level.
“I am grateful to Emmanuel - all the licenses for the production of weapons promised by France to Ukraine have already been received. It is important that this is implemented quickly at the team level. Thank you, France!“, added the Ukrainian president.