Airplane diplomacy. It is by two tweets, one in English, the other in French, that Emmanuel Macron congratulated himself this Saturday, May 20 to have made an aircraft of the official fleet available to Volodymyr Zelensky, who is currently on a surprise international tour. "A plane in the colors of the French Republic has arrived in Hiroshima. On board, the Ukrainian delegation that came to the G7 to work with us and our partners," he wrote.
A few hours earlier, the Ukrainian president arrived in Japan, descending from an A330 in tricolor colors, stamped "French Republic". It was in the middle of the week that the Kiev authorities made the request in Paris — an American military means of transport would have been first considered by the Ukrainians. "We accepted, it's a sign of trust and friendship on our part," says the Elysee.
A plane in the colors of the French Republic arrived in Hiroshima.
On board, the Ukrainian delegation to the G7 will work with us and our partners.
For the victory of Ukraine.
For the return of peace in Europe. pic.twitter.com/1D6n8jCaEN
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 20, 2023
This plane made quite a journey: its crew came to pick up Volodymyr Zelensky in Poland near the Ukrainian border before first heading to Jeddah to attend the Arab League summit, which was held on May 19 in Saudi Arabia. To accompany him throughout the journey, the France sent the adviser to the Élysée Isabelle Dumont, former ambassador to Kiev.
An act as infrequent as it is loaded with symbol
"Zelensky cannot move easily or discreetly. The risk of attack is permanent," said a senior French diplomat. "With this gesture, we anchor our foreign policy in the Gaullo-Mitterrandist heritage: audacity, influence, defense of freedoms, like Mitterrand in Sarajevo or Beirut." Zelensky is expected to return to Poland with the same plane as on the outward journey while Emmanuel Macron will use his usual A330, equipped with a desk and a meeting room. He will go first to Mongolia and then to France.
During the G7, Volodymyr Zelensky sought to expand his political and military support, before the probable counter-offensive of his army. A meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi, also invited, took place. A first, while India has not formally condemned the Russian invasion. An exchange was also held with Emmanuel Macron. The G7 also called on China to put pressure on Russia to stop its "aggression".
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The provision of an official aircraft is an act as infrequent as it is symbolic. In October 2004, the France sent a medical plane from its fleet to pick up Yasser Arafat, who was dying at the time. He had been hospitalized in a military establishment in the Paris region. A month later, another plane from the French Republic transported the remains of the Palestinian Authority president to Cairo.