Volodymyr Zelensky is back in Paris. After Rome and Berlin, the Ukrainian president will continue his European tour in France on Sunday evening. The move had been kept secret for security reasons. He will be welcomed by the head of state, Emmanuel Macron, who had already received him in February. While a Ukrainian counter-offensive is still being prepared, Volodymyr Zelensky maintains and consolidates his political support. On Sunday, the two heads of state were working on a possible joint declaration. In particular, the France could deliver new military equipment. Ammunition is always the priority at the front.
Paris has already delivered Caesar artillery guns, armored vehicles, AMX-10 RC light tanks and air defense systems, in addition to other armaments. But military stockpiles do not allow much more to be done. The delivery of Leclerc tanks or Mirage 2000 fighter jets was not topical until now. It is not one of Ukraine's priorities. If the political symbol would have been strong, the supply of a few copies of these complex equipment would not have been relevant from a military point of view.
A perilous balance
The issue of the visit is more political. In an interview with L'Opinion to be published Monday, Emmanuel Macron reiterates his concern to prepare "the after". "Russia has already lost geopolitically," insists the president, listing Moscow's failures. But "let's be factual, Russia must not win the military war," the president added. "It is up to us to see how to help the Ukrainians in their counter-offensive, how to prepare the question of security guarantees of the negotiations that there will inevitably be. I have always said that, in the long run, the European security architecture will have to fully secure the Ukraine of tomorrow. But it will have to conceive of a non-confrontation with Russia and rebuild sustainable balances. But there are still many steps to achieve this," he said, trying to maintain a perilous balance between clear support for Kiev, and the desire to think about a diplomatic way out. Europeans are divided on the subject. The French are worried about the hardlining of Eastern European countries, "and especially Poland," says an official close to military circles.
The question of the security architecture that could be proposed to Ukraine will be on the agenda of the next NATO summit, to be held in July in Vilnius. "But it is too early to know if there will be decisions, it all depends on the military situation," warns the Alliance. President Volodymyr Zelensky has already admitted that his country cannot join the Alliance as long as the war lasts. But he insists on starting discussions for membership of the European Union. "The time has come to take a positive decision on the opening of accession negotiations," he said at a press conference with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen this week. "Ukraine is part of our European family," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Sunday. In June, Ukraine was already granted candidate status.