Mr. Trump meets Mr. Zelensky, US provides nearly 1 billion USD in military aid to Ukraine

Mr. Trump shakes hands with Mr. Zelensky (right)

AFP news agency reported on December 8 that French President Emmanuel Macron chaired a three-way dialogue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President-elect Donald Trump at the Elysee Palace.

Mr Trump shook hands firmly and patted Mr Zelensky on the back before Mr Macron stood between them and smiled for the cameras. The meeting took place on December 7 (local time) and lasted about 20 minutes.

The Ukrainian president later said the meeting was "good and productive", and the three sides agreed to continue working together.

Conflict map less optimistic for Ukraine as Russia accelerates offensive

"President Trump is as firm as ever. I thank him. We all want this war to end as soon as possible and in a just way," Mr. Zelensky wrote on social media.

“And this is the most important thing – a just and secure peace , strong security guarantees for Ukraine,” he added.

Hours after the meeting, US President Joe Biden announced a new aid package worth $988 million for Ukraine.

The Pentagon said the aid package includes unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ammunition for the HIMARS system, as well as equipment and spare parts for artillery systems, tanks and armored vehicles.

From left: Mr. Trump, Mr. Macron and Mr. Zelensky

After the meeting, Mr. Trump joined Mr. Macron and Mr. Zelensky at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to attend the first reopening ceremony since the 2019 fire.

The meeting is of great importance to Mr Zelensky, as Kyiv fears Mr Trump could push Ukraine to make concessions to Russia, after previously claiming he could end the war “within 24 hours”.

The meeting also gives President Macron a chance to get a better understanding of what a second Trump term will look like when Trump takes office in January. The trip to Paris is Trump’s first international trip since winning the November 5 election.

Mr Trump and Mr Macron hugged and shook hands several times on the steps of the French presidential palace, while Mr Trump was greeted by an honour guard despite not yet taking office.

"It seems like the world is a little crazy right now and we'll talk about it," Mr. Trump said.

For his part, Mr Trump praised his relationship with the French leader, saying that "we have had a great relationship as everyone knows, we have achieved a lot".

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ong-trump-gap-ong-zelensky-my-vien-tro-quan-su-gan-1-ti-usd-cho-ukraine-185241208064603949.htm