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The Ukrainian president has arrived Volodymyr Zelensky To Paris on Thursday to hold talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel MacronComing from Britain, where he met, at the beginning of a quick European tour, the Prime Minister Keir Starmer The Secretary General of NATO (NATO) Mark Rutte.
The European tour also includes Rome and Berlin, and comes in search of additional support as the Russian army continues its advance in eastern Ukraine.
In London, Starmer said that he discussed with Zelensky the Ukrainian “victory plan” over Russian forces, stressing that “it is very important that we can demonstrate our continued commitment to supporting Ukraine.”
For his part, Rutte said, “It is about Ukraine, but it is also about defending the West and how to maintain our security.”
This “plan” – which was put forward by Zelensky and is still somewhat vague at this stage – is expected to be revealed during the peace summit expected in November, the date of which has not yet been confirmed by Kiev.
The Ukrainian president has repeated in recent days that he wants to “force” Moscow to sit at the negotiating table and accept Kiev's conditions.
After Paris, Zelensky is expected to head to Rome to hold discussions in the evening with the Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni And then Friday morning with Pope Francesco in Vatican.
He is expected to arrive in Germany on the same day. In Berlin, Zelensky meets with the German Chancellor Olaf Schultz His government intends to reduce the amount allocated for bilateral military aid directed to Kiev by half during 2025, which sparked opposition from Ukraine.
Request military equipment
It is expected that Zelensky will take advantage of his European tour to reiterate his demands regarding obtaining military equipment.
This European tour comes while an important meeting of Kiev's military partners scheduled for Saturday in Germany was postponed after US President Joe Biden canceled his attendance due to Hurricane Milton hitting Florida, and while the Russian army continues its advance in eastern Ukraine.
The tour also comes less than a month before the presidential elections in the United States, with the results undecided, which raises concerns in Kiev about the continued vital American support for it.
During meetings with the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Germany, the Ukrainian president will discuss the “victory plan” that he has prepared, which he says aims to create conditions for a “just end to the war.”
This plan, which is still vague, will be revealed during the second peace summit expected in November, without Kiev confirming its specific date, which raises doubts about its current organization.
Zelensky, who has repeatedly said in recent days that he wants to “force” Moscow to sit at the negotiating table and accept Kiev's conditions, confirmed on Wednesday that his plan “is capable of bridging the existing gap between the current situation and holding a successful peace conference.”
