Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Édouard Philippe, mayor of the French city of Le Havre and leader of the Horizons political party, in Kyiv on May 26. The talks focused on continued French support for Ukraine, European Union membership and cooperation in the energy and defense sectors. Zelenskyy described Philippe’s visit as a sign of solidarity amid Russia’s recent large-scale attacks on Ukraine. He thanked France for its support since the beginning of the war, while Philippe praised the resilience of the Ukrainian people and said France would continue assisting Ukrainian displaced people and supporting Ukraine. The two officials also discussed Ukraine’s path toward EU membership. Zelenskyy said Ukraine was counting on the opening of all negotiating clusters in the near future, while Philippe said Ukraine deserved to join the bloc. Zelenskyy identified strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses and developing Europe’s own anti-ballistic capabilities as defense priorities. Post navigation Zelenskyy Urges Unity at Cities Summit Zelenskyy Meets Belarusian Opposition Leader