France ready to work in field of ballistic missile defense - Zelenskyy holds talks with Macron

On Saturday, May 16, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron. The two leaders discussed a range of issues, including bilateral cooperation and russian attacks.

France also confirmed its readiness to cooperate in the field of ballistic missile defense.

The Ukrainian leader announced this on his Telegram channel.

"As always, a good and substantive conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron. We managed to discuss many issues, and I am grateful for our coordination in all areas," the Ukrainian leader wrote.

Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to the French President for his principled stance and strong condemnation of russian strikes on Ukrainian cities and communities. He emphasized that these attacks once again demonstrate Russia’s true nature and confirm the need to strengthen joint defense against existing threats.

"France is ready to work on anti-ballistics. This is a strong decision and an important step. We also discussed strengthening our capabilities to repel Russian attacks right now. Thank you for your readiness to strengthen our air defense," the statement reads.

In addition to issues regarding the strengthening of Ukraine’s air defense, the leaders discussed the European track and the prospect of opening all negotiation clusters in the near future. France reaffirmed its support for Ukraine and the importance of this step for Ukrainian society.

Macron also briefed Zelenskyy on the results of his visit to African countries.

"We discussed the importance of joint coordination in this area, as it is equally important for Ukraine. We agreed to stay in touch in the near future. Thank you for your support!" the Ukrainian President concluded.