President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with French leader Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, the head of state said on social media.
According to him, the two leaders instructed their advisers to begin preparing for the French president's visit to Kyiv.
Zelenskyy also thanked Macron "for launching the Artillery Coalition initiative and for France's commitment to produce dozens of advanced Caesar artillery systems and ammunition for Ukraine in 2024."
Ukraine and France also agreed to accelerate preparations for the signing of a bilateral security treaty, similar to the one Kyiv recently concluded with the United Kingdom.
Paris has already provided Kyiv with Caesar self-propelled artillery systems and created a €200 million fund to allow Ukraine to buy equipment directly from French manufacturers.
Macron also said that the exact number of Caesars that Paris will supply to Kyiv will depend on the outcome of negotiations with Denmark, which ordered these units from France and may agree to transfer at least some of them to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Background. Meanwhile, it was reported that France will provide Ukraine with 50 AASM Hammer bombs every month. Also, starting this month, the country plans to provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with 3,000 shells per month.