Ukrainian president, French FM discuss support for Ukraine

Kyiv - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday met with visiting French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to discuss support for Kyiv, the presidential press service said.

The parties talked about the assistance in armaments, strengthening sanctions on Russia and bringing Ukraine closer to European Union (EU) membership, according to a statement on the Ukrainian presidential website.

During the talks, Zelensky thanked France for the financial aid for Kyiv and the assistance of the French government in the treatment of wounded Ukrainian servicemen.

The Ukrainian leader added that Kyiv is counting on France's support for Ukraine on its path toward getting to a candidate status for EU membership in June.

Zelensky and Colonna also exchanged views on the ways to unblock Ukrainian ports to prevent the global food crisis, and they touched upon Ukraine's post-conflict recovery.

Colonna arrived in Ukraine earlier in the day, becoming the highest-ranked French official to visit Kyiv since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on Feb 24.

Colonna also held talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, pledging to continue military assistance for Ukraine.