French President announces 2 billion euros in aid to Ukraine, tough talk on Russia

(CLO) Ahead of a conference to strengthen security for Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country will provide an additional 2 billion euros in military aid to Kiev.

Mr Macron also asked Russia to accept Ukraine's proposed 30-day ceasefire "without preconditions", accusing Moscow of constantly making new demands to delay the ceasefire agreements. The French president also said that Russia had no right to interfere with European countries' support for Ukraine.

On Thursday (March 27), President Macron will chair a conference with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to discuss Europe's security commitments to Ukraine after reaching a ceasefire agreement.

French President Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Photo: X/EmmanuelMacron

Earlier, speaking in Jamaica, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was considering the conditions proposed by Russia, but also warned that a peace agreement would take time to achieve.

However, tensions continued to rise ahead of the summit as Russia and Ukraine accused each other of breaking an initial agreement to stop attacks on Black Sea and energy facilities.

Mr. Macron commented that the war in Ukraine is entering a decisive phase, as the United States under President Donald Trump is promoting negotiations with Moscow to seek a peace agreement.

While ceasefire talks were underway, Ukraine said Russia had launched 117 drones into its territory overnight, of which 56 were shot down and 48 lost radar signal without causing major damage.

Kiev has accused Russia of continuing attacks on energy facilities, despite President Vladimir Putin ordering a 30-day ceasefire on those targets last week.

Moscow, in turn, has accused Ukraine of attacking Russia's energy infrastructure, which Kiev has denied.

Speaking to reporters, President Zelenskyy stressed that this was not the time to ease pressure on Russia. "Now is not the time to reduce pressure on Russia or weaken our unity for the sake of peace," he said.

One key issue under discussion is the possibility of deploying European forces in Ukraine to deter the risk of a Russian re-attack after a peace deal is reached.

Mr Zelenskyy said it was too early to discuss the specific role of these forces. However, his senior adviser, Igor Zhovkva, revealed that Ukraine wanted a strong European military presence, rather than simply a peacekeeping force.

The key question now is "who is ready to participate" in this mission, the Ukrainian president said.

The Ukraine security conference in Paris is expected to lay the foundation for long-term European security commitments to Kiev, while peace talks between the US and Russia are still ongoing with many challenges.

Cao Phong (France24, CNN)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tong-thong-phap-tuyen-bo-vien-tro-2-ty-euro-cho-ukraine-phat-bieu-cung-ran-ve-nga-post340265.html