Macron confirms the launch of a counter-offensive that will last “weeks, even months”.

Emmanuel Macron The beans spilled. The head of state confirmed on Monday that the Ukrainian army’s counter-offensive against Russian forces would last “several weeks, even months”.

“The Ukrainian counteroffensive started several days ago,” he told the German chancellor. Olaf Scholes and the President of Poland Andrzej Duda At the Elysée. The president brought his partners together in the Weimar Triangle, the site for regular summits between the three countries.

Seven villages were recovered from the Russian forces

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky It announced that “counter-offensive and defensive operations” were underway on Saturday Ukraine, not to mention a massive counterattack that had been prepared for weeks. The Ukrainian government said on Monday evening that seven villages had been retaken from Russian forces in the south and east of the country as part of these operations.

The tenant of the Élysée underlined that this counter-attack “will be as successful as possible”. Emmanuel Macron also confirmed that France would continue to “intensify” its military aid to Ukraine.

“We intensified arms and ammunition, armored vehicles and logistical support,” he recalled, adding that battle-damaged equipment was given maintenance. “In the coming days and weeks we will proceed according to the schedule I presented (to President Zelensky),” the head of state said.

Chancellor Scholz also insisted that Ukraine would be “supported as long as needed” with tanks, artillery and anti-aircraft defenses. “A war of aggression by Russia is already a strategic and geopolitical defeat for the aggressor,” hit Emmanuel Macron.

The question of Ukraine’s NATO membership

President Duda, for his part, stressed the need to send a “clear signal of a clear perspective” to Ukraine’s accession.NATO At the next alliance summit in Vilnius, Lithuania on July 11 and 12. A “green light” should be given to Kiev, although he underlined that it was highly unlikely as long as the country was at war because of the risks of extending the conflict to member states without moving to talk of immediate membership. alliance

Pending entry into NATO, Emmanuel Macron proposed in Bratislava on May 31 to offer Ukraine “firm” security guarantees that would prevent Russia from renewing such aggression. “We are negotiating with them at the highest level,” President Duda noted.

20 minutes with AFP