Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelensky went to Paris on Thursday to meet Emmanuel Macron as part of his mini-tour among his main European allies.
The Ukrainian president indicated at the end of the meeting that he had presented his counterpart with his “victory plan” against Russia. On the other hand, he denied having mentioned a possible ceasefire, which “is not a subject of our discussions (…) with our allies”. The Ukrainian president also once again called for a rapid increase in aid. “Before winter, we need your support,” he asked.
Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Paris after meeting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO chief Mark Rutte in London in the morning. The Ukrainian president also explained to them the details of his “plan”.
Missiles and “victory plan” on the program
This plan “aims to create favorable conditions for a just end to the war,” declared the Ukrainian leader, quoted in the press release. “Ukraine can only negotiate with a strong position,” he added. This plan must be unveiled during a second peace summit, expected in November, but the date of which has not been confirmed by kyiv.
Volodymyr Zelensky once again insisted on “the need to obtain authorization to strike deep into Russian territory” with long-range weapons, supplied in particular by the United Kingdom. The leader has for months been demanding authorization to use Britain’s long-range Storm Shadow missiles to hit targets inside Russian territory.
On Friday, the Ukrainian president will be received in Berlin by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose government plans to halve in 2025 the amount allocated to bilateral military aid intended for Ukraine, to the great displeasure of kyiv. The German research institute Kiel Institute warned on Thursday of a possible drop in Western aid to Ukraine next year.
The possible return of Donald Trump to the White House “could block future aid plans in Congress,” warns the institute, which lists the military, financial and humanitarian aid promised and delivered to Ukraine.
According to its projections, military and financial aid would amount to 59 and 54 billion euros respectively in 2025 if Western donors maintained their level of aid. Conversely, this aid would fall by half, to 29 and 27 billion euros, without new American aid and if European donors aligned with Germany.
In the meantime, Russian forces are gradually advancing in the Donetsk region towards Pokrovsk, a logistics hub for Ukrainian troops.
