MADRID, 8 (EUROPA PRESS)
The President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, has arrived tonight at the Élysée Palace in Paris, to hold a three-way meeting there with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz.
Zelenski, who landed at the Paris Orly Airport at around 9:45 p.m., was first received by the French Defense Minister, Sebastien Lecornu. Then a procession took him to the Elysée, where he will have dinner with the French and German leaders.
Already at the headquarters of the French Presidency, Macron has received the Ukrainian head of state and, then, Scholz has left the interior of the palace to pose with both leaders in a historic photo that certifies Zelenski’s visit to the second capital Europe in one day, after London.
Later, Macron, Zelenski and Scholz held a joint press appearance in which the French president took the opportunity to reaffirm support for Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion. “We stand by Ukraine, firmly and with the determination to accompany it to victory,” he said.
“We want to build peace together, a peace that does justice to Ukraine, its people, its courage (…) and that allows us to build a space of security for all”, President Macron has settled for his part.
Zelensky then took the floor to acknowledge feeling grateful and “happy” to be able to be in Paris together with two of the main European leaders, and stressed that the meeting will serve to reinforce “continental unity”.
Likewise, as he had done hours before in London, Zelenski has called on his interlocutors to send combat planes “as soon as possible” with which to strengthen the capabilities of the Ukrainian Army in air combat against Russia.
After the intervention of Macron and Zelenski, it was Scholz’s turn, who took the opportunity to extol the “courage”, “courage” and “tenacity” of Ukraine and its population to defend themselves within the framework of the war, initiated by order of Russian President Vladimir Putin almost a year ago.
The Ukrainian president has visited London this Thursday, where he has met not only with the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, but also with King Carlos III. This little European tour by Zelensky is taking place within the framework of his more than likely participation in the European Union summit on Thursday.
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