Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, spoke to FRANCE 24 a day after the visit of the French, German, Italian and Romanian leaders to Kyiv and Irpin. While welcoming this display of European unity with Ukraine, Podolyak called for more heavy weapons to be sent to his country. He said that such a move would change the situation on the ground in favour of the Ukrainian troops, faced with Russian advances in the eastern Donbas region.
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Podolyak, a former journalist who became an adviser to Zelensky after the February 24 Russian invasion of Ukraine, reacted to Thursday’s visit by the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania, hailing it as a symbol of a united Europe standing behind Ukraine.
However, he urged European countries to send more heavy weapons to the Ukrainian army, adding that this was key to a Ukrainian victory in the coming months.
The presidential adviser also discussed the somewhat ambiguous position of French President Emmanuel Macron, who wants to maintain dialogue with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. While saying that he understood Macron’s position, Podolyak warned against ceding any Ukrainian territory to Russia.
Read more analysis on the war in Ukraine © Studio graphique France Médias Monde
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