French President Emmanuel Macron hosts Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris on Monday for his ninth visit since the war began. The meeting aims to reaffirm France's support and progress on security guarantees for Kyiv. Discussions will focus on anti-drone efforts and military aid.
Volodymyr Zelensky arrives in Paris after a visit to Athens, where Ukraine and Greece signed an agreement on Sunday for the delivery of American liquefied natural gas from December 2025 to March 2026, in the presence of the new US ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle. This deal aims to support Ukraine through a difficult winter.
The day will begin with a visit to the Villacoublay air base, southwest of Paris, to discuss ways to strengthen Ukrainian defense by leveraging French excellence in the arms industry for Kyiv. The French presidency highlighted the importance of defending Ukrainian airspace and anti-drone efforts, a priority amid relentless Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.
The two presidents will then visit the headquarters of the «multinational force Ukraine», a Franco-British initiative aimed at a potential ceasefire with Russia. Announcements of new aid or arms cooperation are possible. A Macron advisor told AFP: «The prolongation of the war and the absence of a ceasefire underscore our responsibility to do everything to enable Ukraine to defend itself and thus give new momentum».
This meeting occurs amid stalled peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow. Security guarantees, developed by the «coalition of volunteers» involving 31 countries since March 2025, include support for the Ukrainian army across land, sea, and air domains, but remain conditional on halting the fighting. A proposed summit in Budapest between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin did not take place.
After Paris, Zelensky will travel to Madrid on Tuesday to meet representatives of both chambers of the Spanish Parliament, his second visit to Spain since the Russian invasion in February 2022, following one in May 2024.