Zelenskyy to visit Paris to discuss aid, defence and reforms with Macron

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to visit Paris on November 17 for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, the Elysée Palace has announced.

The meeting comes as Zelenskyy’s administration faces a corruption scandal involving allegations that associates of the president attempted to siphon around $100 million from Ukraine’s energy sector. The accusations emerge at a time when Ukrainian citizens are contending with power outages caused by Russian strikes on energy infrastructure.

According to a statement from the French presidency, quoted by POLITICO, the leaders will discuss bilateral relations, energy, the economy, and defence. The visit will also serve to "reaffirm France's long-term commitment to Ukraine" and to "maintain the drive for security guarantees" offered by the coalition of willing countries led by France and the United Kingdom.

An Elysée official, speaking anonymously, said the two governments aim to strengthen cooperation between their defence industries. The official added that the relationship between Paris and Kyiv is based on "trust and honesty," and that Ukraine is aware of France’s expectations. "France will continue to specify what its expectations are: transparency and a thorough effort to improve anti-corruption work," the official said.

The allegations come as Ukraine faces a budget shortfall next year and seeks urgently needed funding from the European Union. Brussels has proposed using frozen Russian assets as a "reparation loan" to Ukraine, but must first gain approval from Belgium, where most of the assets are held.

Presidential adviser Andriy Yermak defended Zelenskyy, telling the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network that the president is "not corrupt" and "a very principled person."

EU leaders are pressing Kyiv for assurances that it is taking steps to tackle corruption. On Thursday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Berlin expects Ukraine to "press ahead with anti-corruption measures and reforms" following a call with Zelenskyy.

By Tamilla Hasanova