France and Ukraine to sign bilateral security agreement

Emmanuel Macron, right, and Volodymyr Zelensky have agreed a bilteral security deal (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)

French president Emmanuel Macron will sign a bilateral security agreement with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday in Paris as part of a trip that will also go take in Germany, the French presidency has said.

It did not release specific details about the agreement, to be signed at the Elysee presidential palace.

Mr Macron said earlier this year that France was negotiating a bilateral deal on the model the one Ukraine recently agreed with the United Kingdom, which covers 10 years.

This will be the third visit by Mr Zelensky to Paris since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago, following those in February and May 2023, the statement said.

The French presidency said the visit will be an opportunity for Macron “to reaffirm France’s determination to continue to provide unwavering support to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, over the long term and with all its partners”.

Both leaders will discuss the situation on the front line, Ukraine’s military, economic and humanitarian needs, as well as negotiations on the country’s efforts to join the European Union, which France fully supports, the statement said.

Ukraine’s presidential office on Thursday said Mr Zelensky will visit Germany, where he will meet with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and France on Friday.

He will also participate the next day at the Munich security conference and will hold bilateral meetings on its side line, including with US vice president Kamala Harris; Czech president Petr Pavel; Denmark prime minister Mette Frederiksen and the Netherlands prime minister Mark Rutte.