French presidential contender meets with Zelensky in Kyiv
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President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Le Havre mayor and French presidential contender Edouard Philippe in Kyiv on May 26.
"I am grateful for the support of our people, and in particular, this visit is an important demonstration of solidarity with Ukraine, especially after the recent large-scale Russian missile and drone attacks on our country," Zelensky said, referring to the overnight mass attack on May 24 that killed at least two people and injured 87 others in Kyiv.
"We discussed our progress toward membership in the EU. We appreciate France's consistent support on this issue. We are counting on the opening of all negotiation clusters in the near future. Special attention was given to energy assistance and cooperation in the defense sector."
Philippe was in Kyiv for the International Summit of Cities and Regions, which brought together representatives from 24 countries.
The center-right politician previously served as prime minister from 2017 to 2020 under French President Emmanuel Macron, whose term is set to expire in 2027.
French polling company Odoxa published a poll on May 26 suggesting that far-right leader Jordan Bardella of the National Rally could beat Philippe by a margin of 52% to 48% in the second round of next year's presidential election.
At the same time, polling suggests that while far-left politician Jean-Luc Melenchon's popularity could not secure a win he could nonetheless complicate Philippe's path to the second round.
Philippe has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war, going so far as to call U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to withhold aid in the wake of his public dispute with President Volodymyr Zelensky in early 2025 a "betrayal."
While his political opponent Bardella is not pro-Russian, the far-right leader has opposed the transfer of long-range weapons to Ukraine, citing the risk of "escalation" in the war. He has also spoken out against providing EU financial aid packages for Kyiv, arguing that France should not send money it "doesn't have" or that may "never be repaid."
