France pledges weapons to Ukraine following surprise Zelensky visit to Paris

France has promised Ukraine dozens more light tanks and armoured vehicles after President Emmanuel Macron met Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris on Sunday. Earlier, Zelensky was awarded awarded Europe's Charlemagne prize for services towards European unity.

France sent a plane to pick up Zelensky in Germany, where he had met Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier Sunday.

"Paris. With each visit, Ukraine's defense and offensive capabilities are expanding. The ties with Europe are getting stronger, and the pressure on Russia is growing," Zelensky said after landing.

Macron shortly afterwards welcomed Zelensky to the Elysee Palace, for the second time since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

The two leaders discussed boosting military aid.
"In the coming weeks, France will train and equip several battalions with tens of armored vehicles and light tanks including AMX-10RC," they said in a joint statement afterwards.

They also called for fresh sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine "to weaken Russia's ability to continue its illegal war of aggression."

After months of stalemate, Ukraine has been preparing to retake ground captured by Russia and has been stockpiling Western-supplied munitions and shoring up support on a diplomatic tour.

Zelensky heads to London on Monday for talks with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

European unity prize

Zelensky's arrival in Paris came just hours after EU leaders in Germany hailed the Ukrainian people for fighting for the bloc's freedom and values, handing this year's Charlemagne prize for service towards European unity to the country's president.

"Ukraine incarnates everything the European idea is living for: the courage of convictions, the fight for values and freedom, the commitment to peace and unity," said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen at the award ceremony in the western city of Aachen.

"President Zelensky and the people of Ukraine are fighting for the values and the obligation that this prize embodies. And in doing so, they are also fighting for our own freedom and our values," she said in a message echoed by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

For German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Russia's war on its neighbour had "cemented one clear realisation: Ukraine is part of our European family".

Zelensky received the prize while on his first trip to Germany since Russia's invasion, a day after meeting Italian leaders and Pope Francis in Rome.

The weekend diplomatic tour comes ahead of an EU summit in Reykjavik and a gathering of G7 leaders in Japan.

Zelensky won extended standing ovations at the Aachen ceremony, during which EU leaders also vowed to support Ukraine along its road to joining the bloc.

Calling Germany a "true friend and reliable ally" to Ukraine as it battles to repel Russian invaders, Zelensky held separate talks with Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

On Saturday, Germany unveiled a new military package for Kyiv worth 2.7 billion euros – its biggest yet for Ukraine – and hailed by Zelensky as "powerful support".

(with newswires)