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French President Emmanuel Macron stressed the need for achieving peace in Ukraine to be accompanied by strong and permanent security guarantees.
The French leader made this statement during a telephone conversation he had, along with other European leaders, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who will meet with Donald Trump in the United States the next day.
As reported by the Elysee Palace, the purpose of the conversation was to express to the Ukrainian president the support of Europe and Canada in the framework of the talks he will hold with the American president.
According to the announcement from the French presidency, France intends to cooperate closely with the US on the issue of security guarantees, based on decisions adopted within the framework of the Alliance of the Willing, whose leaders are France and Britain.
Finally, the French presidency emphasizes that Europeans must participate in all consultations that concern them, while condemning Russia's recent military attacks against Ukraine.
According to foreign media, Zelensky said today's meeting with Trump will focus on a 20-point peace plan brokered by the US, as well as specific proposals for US security guarantees.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin said that President Vladimir Putin's top aide had held further talks with US officials by phone and that Russia had pledged to continue negotiations.
Russia has spoken of "slow but steady progress" in the talks, but has not commented on Zelensky's offer to withdraw troops from eastern Donbass if Russia also withdraws.
Ukraine has tried to secure guarantees from the US as part of a deal, and Zelensky has suggested that a demilitarized "free economic zone" is a real possibility for areas of Donbas that Russia has failed to take by force.
On Friday, Zelensky said he had received an update on the latest technical talks from his top negotiator, Rustem Umerov.
He wrote on social media: "We are not wasting a day. We have agreed to a meeting at the highest level with President Trump in the near future. Many things can be decided before the New Year."
A White House meeting between Zelensky and Trump in February, the first since the US president returned to office, degenerated into a hostile shouting match, although their most recent meeting at the White House in October was much friendlier.
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