By AFP
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will during the French leader鈥檚 visit next week to the UK co-chair talks with other European leaders on boosting Ukraine鈥檚 defenses, the Elysee Palace said on Friday.
鈥淭here will certainly be a discussion on how to seriously maintain Ukraine鈥檚 combat capability,鈥 the Elysee Palace said, adding that Starmer and Macron will co-chair the meeting of Kyiv鈥檚 allies by video link.
The meeting on July 10 will come as US-led peace talks on ending the more than three-year-old war against Ukraine have stalled.
The United States, Ukraine鈥檚 biggest military backer since the launch of Russia鈥檚 full-scale invasion in 2022, said Tuesday it was halting some key weapons shipments to Ukraine.
Macron will pay a state visit to the United Kingdom from July 8 to July 10, when he will receive a royal welcome and address parliament.
During the Ukraine meeting, Macron and Starmer will speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the French presidency said.
The summit will touch upon the deployment of 鈥渁 reassurance force鈥 to Ukraine after a ceasefire, the Elysee Palace said.
The discussions will also focus on 鈥渉ow to increase pressure on Russia to accept an unconditional ceasefire that it has consistently refused,鈥 the French presidency added.
Moscow has in recent weeks ramped up missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, as US support for Kyiv has appeared to waver under US President Donald Trump.
Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on Thursday.
The US president said he made no progress with Putin on ending the Ukraine war, as the Kremlin insisted Putin would stick to his aims in the conflict.