“We have opened the door to training pilots, France’s President Emmanuel Macron said.

Paris:

France’s President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that his country had “opened the door” to training Ukrainian fighter pilots, even if he excluded sending any warplanes to Kyiv.

Macron spoke a day after Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky visited Paris on the second such trip since Russia invaded its pro-Western neighbour in February last year.

“We have opened the door to coaching pilots, and this with a number of different European nations who’re additionally prepared. I feel discussions are beneath manner with the Americans,” he said in a televised interview with the TF1 broadcaster.

“The coaching can begin from now,” he said, without providing further details.

After months of stalemate, Ukraine has been preparing to retake ground captured by Russia and is shoring up military assistance to help make its troops more battle-ready.

Macron and Zelensky had dinner on Sunday night, as the Ukrainian leader visited several European countries to shore up his weapons stockpile.

“In the approaching weeks, France will practice and equip a number of battalions with tens of armoured autos and light-weight tanks together with AMX-10RC,” they said in a joint statement afterwards.

Macron refused to provide more details during the TF1 interview.

“We have determined to ship extra ammunition,” he said.

France had also decided to help “practice their troops, the battalions that might be in command of the counter-offensive” as well as “restore autos and cannons”.

“France nonetheless has the identical place: to assist Ukraine resist. So much is at stake proper now, as a result of the success of this counter-offensive might be decisive for the capability to construct lasting peace,” he stated.

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