US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Tuesday on supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia and the Israel-Hamas conflict.
France is among major military suppliers to Ukraine, which has faced critical shortages of arms and troops as it holds off an onslaught of Russian attacks.
The United States has been the key military backer for Ukraine but a $60 billion aid package has been held up in Congress.
Paris has also advocated for a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The United States, Israel’s main ally, recently let pass a UN Security
Council resolution that calls for a ceasefire during the month of Ramadan.
Blinken will meet with Macron to discuss the mounting international crises, the French presidency told AFP. He will also have talks with Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne.
France held an international conference in February in a bid to rally financial and military support for Ukraine. The results will be reviewed by
Blinken and French leaders, officials said.
Both sides want an “intensification” of support for Ukraine, a member of Sejourne’s entourage said.
The French minister was in Cairo on Saturday to discuss the Gaza war and in China on Monday to urge Beijing to press Russia over the Ukraine war.
