After Germany, Zelensky signs security pact with France.
The 10-year security pact includes commitments from the French government to provide more weapons, train soldiers, and send up to 3 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine by 2024.
BERLIN (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a new long-term security pact with France on Friday. just hours after securing a similar deal and aid from Germany, on a trip shaken by the news of the death of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.
Zelenskiy is visiting Germany and France seeking military assistance at a critical moment in the war against Russia, with Ukrainian troops trying to contain Russian forces approaching the eastern city of Avdiivka, and the United States struggling to approve a "vital" multi-billion dollar military aid package for Ukraine.
"It's an ambitious and very substantive security agreement," Zelenskiy told reporters alongside French President Emmanuel Macron. "This is not about an alternative to the United States. We are all in this together, and this unity is necessary to defeat Russia."
The 10-year security pact with France includes commitments from the French government to provide more weapons, train soldiers, and send up to 3 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine in 2024, Macron said, noting that Paris had offered 1,7 billion euros in 2022 and 2,1 billion euros in 2023.
"Our commitment to Ukraine will not weaken," Macron said at a joint press conference, adding that the "Kremlin regime" had entered a new phase that was now clearly showing more aggression towards European countries. "By helping our Ukrainian partner, we are investing in our security," Macron said.
Zelenskiy, in his characteristic khaki suit, smiled as he shook hands with Macron at the Élysée Palace after the two leaders signed the pact, which had been negotiated over the past few months.
GERMAN PACKAGE - The German security pact, which will last for 10 years, commits Germany to supporting Ukraine with military assistance, imposing sanctions and export controls on Russia, and ensuring that Russian assets remain frozen.
The German government also prepared another immediate package of 1,13 billion euros focused on air defense and artillery. "The importance of the document cannot be overstated. The document makes it clear that Germany will continue to support an independent Ukraine in its defense against Russian invasion," Scholz stated.
"And if, in the future, there is a new Russian aggression, we have agreed on detailed diplomatic, economic and military support," he added.
Zelenskiy stated that the aid was crucial, given that the supply of military equipment from other partners had decreased and Russia had an advantage in terms of artillery on the front line.
A News of Navalny's death in a Russian prison. He arrived shortly before the scheduled time for the two leaders to speak. Navalny spent time in Germany recovering from poisoning with a military-grade nerve agent in Siberia before returning to Russia.
“I met Navalny here in Berlin when he was trying to recover from the poisoning… and I also spoke to him about the great courage it took to return to the country,” Scholz said. “And he has now probably paid for that courage with his life,” he added.