According to the French Presidency, President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Ukraine is expected to take place in the coming weeks. This would mark the third time the planned trip has been postponed since February. Originally, Macron intended to visit in February to sign a bilateral security agreement with President Volodymr Zelenskiy. However, this was delayed, and Zelenskiy ended up coming to Paris to finalize the accord.
Subsequently, a second date was set for early March, but this too was pushed back to a later date this week.
Following a phone conversation between the two leaders on Sunday, the French presidency stated, “The two heads of state agreed to remain in close contact, notably regarding the president’s visit to Ukraine, which should happen in the coming weeks.”
The recent postponement occurs in the aftermath of a Russian missile narrowly missing Ukraine’s president and the prime minister of Greece in the city of Odesa. Macron was also scheduled to visit Odesa.
Macron has recently taken a tougher stance towards Russia, accusing the country of increased aggression towards France and Europe. He has asserted that Moscow must be countered and has called on European allies to offer more support to Ukraine promptly. Macron faced criticism from Western allies after suggesting the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine.
According to two diplomatic sources, the French presidency is contemplating the idea of expanding the trip to Ukraine to include other Western leaders, rather than a simple bilateral visit. This move aims to demonstrate unity among allies and exhibit solidarity with Ukraine.
(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Sandra Maler)
