Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was officially received in Paris this Friday by the French Minister of Defense at the beginning of the second day of commemorations for the 80th anniversary of ‘D-Day’, in which Biden apologized to Ukraine for the delay in American aid.
The French Minister of Defense, Sébastien Lecornu, received Zelensky with a military honors ceremony at the Les Invalides complex. Zelensky later gave a 20-minute speech in the National Assembly, the lower house of the French Parliament, in which he outlined parallelisms among the sacrifices made during the Second World War and the current his country’s fight against Russia.
The Ukrainian president will later meet with other French authorities, including the president, Emmanuel Macron, at the Elysée Palace. Zelensky also met with the American president, Joe Bidenas the Ukrainian Army endures its toughest days of fighting since the first weeks of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Biden apologizes for delays in US military aid, which favored Russian advances
Biden publicly apologized this Friday for the first time to Zelensky for the months delay in the approval of US military assistancewhich allowed Russia to make advances on the battlefield.
During a meeting in Paris, where both attended the ‘D-Day’ ceremonies, Biden told Zelensky that he apologized with the Ukrainian people over the prolonged uncertainty over military assistance, after Republicans in Congress maintained the blocking of an aid package worth $61 billion for Ukraine. Biden insisted, however, that the American people would support Ukraine long-term. “We’re still in. Completely. Thoroughly“, he claimed.
The United States is by far the largest provider of support to kyiv during the war, and Ukraine is trying to defend itself from a intense Russian offensive in the eastern parts of the country. The advance is focused on the Ukrainian border regions of Jarkov y Donetskbut Ukrainian officials say it could spread as the larger Russian military tries to press its advantage.
For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday that France will provide Ukraine with fighter jets Mirage to defend against Russian attacks.
