By AFP

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Tuesday called on French President Emmanuel Macron to visit his country before the end of France’s EU presidency on June 30.

“It would be good that Macron came during the French EU presidency, and the best thing would be that he comes with more weapons deliveries for Ukraine,” he told French news channel LCI.

“That’s the most precious aid we can receive from France.”

Macron travelled to Moscow and Kyiv shortly before Russia’s invasion on February 24 and has not returned to Ukraine since the outbreak of the war.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian leader Justin Trudeau and high-ranking European officials have visited Kyiv since Russia withdrew its forces from the Ukrainian capital to refocus its attention on the east.

New French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna visited Kyiv on Monday, the first such trip by a French official since the start of the war.

But the newly re-elected French head of state on Tuesday repeated his wish to go to Kyiv “in good time, in the right conditions”.

Kuleba said a visit by Macron was “on the agenda”.

Ukraine’s top diplomat added that the key eastern city of Severodonetsk was the scene of street fighting and requested rocket-launchers, tanks and cannons to bolster the army.

He also called on countries to pass laws authorising the seizure of Russian assets for Ukraine’s reconstruction.

Macron is one of the few European leaders to maintain a regular dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has warned that humiliating Russia will not bring peace.

“We must not allow Putin an outcome that allows him to save face, otherwise he will continue his aggression,” Kuleba said, brushing aside those concerns.

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