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France promises more tanks for Ukraine after Zelensky visit

France on Monday announced dozens more light tanks and armoured vehicles for Ukraine's army, together with training for the soldiers using them, after Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky had dinner together in Paris.

Published: 15 May 2023 08:31 CEST
France promises more tanks for Ukraine after Zelensky visit
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is welcomed by France's President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee on Sunday. Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP

In their joint statement, French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also called for fresh sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

“In the coming weeks, France will train and equip several battalions with tens of armoured vehicles and light tanks including AMX-10RC,” said the statement.

Paris would also focus its efforts “in supporting Ukraine’s air defence capacities in order to defend its population against Russian strikes”.

“Ukraine and France agree on the need to increase collective pressure on Russia through further sanctions to weaken Russia’s ability to continue its illegal war of aggression.”

Their announcement came after Zelensky flew into France late on Sunday and joined Macron for a dinner at the Elysée Palace.

“Paris. With each visit, Ukraine’s defense and offensive capabilities are expanding,” Zelensky tweeted as he flew to the Villacoublay airbase.

“The ties with Europe are getting stronger, and the pressure on Russia is growing.”

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POLITICS

French prime minister comfortably survives censure vote

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne avoided parliamentary censure in an early morning vote on Saturday after she forced the government's budget plan through the National Assembly without a vote.

Published: 30 September 2023 13:39 CEST
French prime minister comfortably survives censure vote

The motion to censure Borne — the 18th levelled at her since she assumed the office — was brought by the left-wing Nupes alliance after the prime minister activated Article 49.3 to adopt the public finance bill without a vote.

The motion received just 193 of the 289 votes needed to succeed, an unsurprising outcome in light of the lack of support from the centre-right.

Its rejection constitutes the adoption of the 2023-2027 budget programme, which now moves to the Senate, the upper house of the French parliament.

The speaker for Nupes, socialist Philippe Brun, accused the government of “favouring with the greatest servility a very well-endowed minority of the French” despite “an immense inflationary crisis”.

President Emmanuel Macron had “tried to make parliament disappear with his repeated (use of) 49.3”, Brun added.

The far right had supported the left’s motion of censure, accusing Borne of the “repeated and abusive use of 49.3”.

Borne, for her part, hit back at both factions, saying “demagoguery is your only budgetary course”.

The government also resorted to Article 49.3 earlier this year to push through unpopular pension reforms, sparking violent protests.

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