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Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky on Wednesday met the French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu in Kyiv. The Ukrainian chief thanked France for its persevering with navy and humanitarian help for his nation within the conflict towards Russia.
The Ukrainian chief ended his every day televised handle by describing his assembly with Lecornu.
“We mentioned cooperation for the approaching 12 months,” Zelensky mentioned. “We talked about rebuilding our nation, and about transferring to a brand new degree within the reinforcement of our defences towards air assault.”
Earlier, on social media, Zelensky expressed his gratitude to France for the navy gear aready equipped which, he mentioned, had made Ukrainian skies safer and had boosted the capacities of the nationwide defence forces.
Zelensky ended his discourse in French, repeating his nation’s appreciation of the help supplied by Paris. “Merci la France.”
Upkeep and future wants
France has already supplied weaponry just like the Caesar artillery system to Ukrainian military models, and has created a fund of 200 million euros to allow the Kyiv authorities to purchase gear straight from French producers.
Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu instructed reporters on Wednesday that France would assist with the upkeep of weapons already delivered. He additionally confirmed that the fund may very well be used to buy extra arms like Mistral missiles to neutralise drone strikes.
“France has chosen a number of methods to assist Ukraine,” Lecornu mentioned throughout his first go to to the nation since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded in February.
“The upkeep of what has already been given to Ukraine is simply as vital as the brand new gear.”
Lecornu’s conferences on Wednesday along with his Ukrainian counterpart, Oleksii Reznikov, and President Volodymyr Zelensky coated “the wants of the Ukrainian military for the weeks to return”, he mentioned.
Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukraine’s infrastructure have in current weeks resulted in blackouts affecting tens of millions.
Reznikov mentioned Ukraine’s high precedence was aerial defence. Navy officers are additionally eager to accumulate extra artillery programs and munitions.
In response to a research by the Kiel Institute for the World Economic system, France ranks tenth by way of navy help for Ukraine, behind the US, Britain, Poland and Germany.
Memorial to the fallen
The French minister started his go to to the Ukrainian capital on the Wall of Heroes, a memorial to the tons of of troopers who’ve died within the 10-month conflict towards Russia.
He then met Reznikov and Zelensky to debate the instant defensive wants of the military.
France has already equipped 18 truck-mounted Caesar weapons to Ukrainian models preventing Russian invaders. The canon have the benefit of speedy mobility, and will be fired and shortly moved earlier than enemy models can return fireplace. The canon have a spread of 40 kilometres and are efficient towards tanks and plane.
Analysts say the French-supplied weapons have performed a significant function in slowing Russian progress and have boosted a spirited Ukrainian fightback.
Final week, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that Paris has additionally supplied rocket launchers and batteries of anti-aircraft missiles to the authorities in Kyiv.
