Macron reaffirms support for Ukraine, condemns Russian attacks in call with Zelenskyy

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday reaffirmed his support for Ukraine and condemned the intensifying Russian attacks in a phone call with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to a Reuters report, Macron’s office stated that during the call on Friday, he strongly denounced Russia’s indiscriminate strikes on towns, civilian populations, and Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

In a separate statement on Telegram, Zelenskyy highlighted to Macron the significance of receiving a Nato invitation for Ukraine.

“I had a productive telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron. I thanked him for France’s readiness to help with generally strengthening Ukraine’s air defence capabilities and for general support and speeding up the transfer of Mirage aircraft,” Reuters quoted Zelenskyy as saying.

The nearly three-year Ukraine-Russia war has seen a sharp escalation in recent days, with Moscow pummelling Ukraine’s energy infrastructure ahead of the winter.

On Friday, Russia launched more than a hundred drones at Ukraine overnight and early Friday, killing one person and wounding eight others.

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The drone barrage came a day after Russia launched around 90 missiles on the war-torn country, cutting power to over a million people.

The latest strikes come as Ukraine enters a tough winter, with Russian forces stepping up aerial attacks and advancing on the eastern front.

Moscow said Friday it had seized the village of Rozdolne in the southern part of Ukraine’s Donbas region, where it has made a string of territorial gains in recent months.

With inputs from agencies