BRUSSELS — French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Saturday that Paris will intensify its support for Ukraine following Russian attacks on a shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih that caused deaths on Friday. Macron wrote on X that he called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday after the attacks, which left 16 dead and 130 wounded.
"I informed President Zelensky that we are stepping up our support with the delivery of interceptors and we continue our cooperation," he said. The Ukrainian president confirmed the call, during which both leaders discussed "above all, the need for air defence".
Zelensky shared on social media that the two leaders "agreed to accelerate the delivery of the latest French equipment and missiles". "I thank you for confirming your willingness to grant licences for the production of missiles," the Ukrainian leader wrote.
Regarding relations with Washington, Zelensky indicated that he and Macron "also discussed the state of diplomatic work with our partners and communication with the team of the US president. We agreed on steps that could open additional diplomatic opportunities".
Macron, together with his counterparts from Germany and the United Kingdom, will co-chair a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing on Monday to discuss continued support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. The meeting will be held in Kyiv, with some leaders — including the French president — participating remotely. Around 10 leaders, including European Council President António Costa, are expected to attend in person, Le Monde reported.
