Zelensky holds phone call with Macron, discusses his recent visit to China

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron had an “hour and a half” phone call on April 15, discussing the results of Macron’s recent visit to China and the situation on the front line in Ukraine.

“I praised France's intention to further strengthen important support for Ukraine on the battlefield,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

Macron arrived in China on April 5 for a three-day visit, joined by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The European leaders have hoped to talk Xi out of supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine amid reports of Beijing considering sending lethal aid to Moscow.

On April 9, Macron said that both France and China believe it is too early for peace talks on Russia’s war against Ukraine.

“Ukrainians are resisting, and we are helping them,” Macron said three days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“The time is not for negotiations, even if we prepare them, we have to set milestones.”

Zelensky said he also thanked Macron for “condemning the terrible inhumane execution of a Ukrainian soldier by Russian war criminals” and discussed the preparations for the upcoming July NATO summit in Lithuania and “its expected results.”

According to Zelensky, the two discussed “the need for Ukraine to obtain effective security guarantees even before our country joins (NATO).”

“Particular attention was paid to the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula,” Zelensky added.