Against a global geopolitical backdrop saturated by the conflagration in the Middle East, French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting Volodymyr Zelensky at the Élysée Palace this Friday. A clear message is being sent to the international community: Ukraine must not be forgotten.
With the world’s attention fixed on the direct confrontation between Iran, Israel, and the United States, there is a risk that the war in Ukraine could take a backseat. To avoid this eclipse effect,which Kyiv deeply fears, this twelfth visit by the Ukrainian president to France since February 2022 carries critical strategic importance.
The goal of this meeting is to demonstrate that the shift in media and political attention toward the Middle East does not equate to a disengagement from Russian aggression. The Élysée insists that Moscow would be making a grave miscalculation if it believes it can exploit this unstable context to advance its objectives in Ukraine.
Technological threats are at the heart of the discussions. At a great cost, the Ukrainian army has gained unique, world-class experience in intercepting and neutralizing Iranian-designed drones—the very same models that now lie at the center of tensions in the Middle East.
The French presidency emphasizes that this « unparalleled expertise » takes on new significance in the current climate. Volodymyr Zelensky is, in fact, proposing to share this operational know-how with European countries, thereby transforming a defense necessity into a lever for enhanced cooperation.
This resilience strategy is also taking shape on the industrial front. After launching a Franco-Ukrainian drone alliance at the end of 2025, the Ukrainian president continues to forge ties with his European partners. On Thursday, during a stop in Bucharest, he signed a declaration of intent with his Romanian counterpart aimed at the joint production of drones.
By multiplying these initiatives, Kyiv seeks not only to secure its supply chains but also to firmly anchor the Ukrainian cause within the European continent’s defense priorities, regardless of geopolitical turbulence elsewhere in the world.
Secondine GOZINGAN
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