President Emmanuel Macron will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris on Monday, as France seeks to reaffirm long-term support for Ukraine and build on recent efforts to boost military and financial aid. The Elysée said the meeting would be the Ukrainian leader’s ninth trip to France since the Russian invasion in 2022.
The French presidency said the aim of the talks is to build on momentum created at last month’s gathering of the Coalition of the Willing allies, led by France and the United Kingdom.
At the group’s most recent meeting on 24 October, European partners said frozen Russian assets should be used quickly to back Ukraine financially.
The debate grew after European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday that using this money to fund a new loan was the "most effective way" to finance Ukraine.
Von der Leyen’s executive has proposed using Russian central bank assets immobilised in Belgium to generate a €140 billion "reparations loan" for Ukraine. She said Kyiv would repay the loan "if Russia pays reparations".
The plan has faced strong resistance from the Belgian government, which fears possible legal reprisals from Moscow.
Four killed in wave of 'calculated' Russian strikes across Kyiv
The Elysée said Macron and Zelensky will also discuss bilateral co-operation on energy, the economy and defence during the Paris visit.
Zelensky said on Friday that Russia had launched around 430 drones and 18 missiles in overnight attacks, primarily targeting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Four people were killed and dozens wounded.
"This was a deliberately calculated attack aimed at causing maximum harm to people and civilian infrastructure," Zelensky said.
He also said that the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk had suspended oil exports, after what local authorities described as a major Ukrainian drone attack.
(with newswires)
