"We don't have much time right now": Zelensky, Macron, and Scholz make statements after meeting

The meeting of the leaders of France, Germany, and Ukraine took place at the Élysée Palace from the evening of February 8 to the night of February 9. Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed various matters over a working dinner. However, they first made statements for the press, as reported by rfi.fr.

The overall message from the European leaders' statements was clear: Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot and must not win; Europe will stand with Ukraine until victory is achieved. Zelenskyy's message was to provide more weapons, as the peace in Europe and the lives of Ukrainians depend on it.

The source specifies that Zelenskyy arrived in Paris on a British government plane from London, where he had a busy day filled with meetings, speaking with parliamentarians, and holding a joint press conference with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

His entire European journey—covering the UK, France, and today, February 9, also an emergency EU summit in Brussels—has focused on a primary goal: acquiring new weapons for the Ukrainian armed forces, the source notes.

Macron, Zelenskyy, and Scholz entered the Élysée Palace’s ceremonial hall just before ten-thirty. The host, Macron, was the first to speak at the press briefing. He reminded that Zelenskyy had been in this hall twice before: first in the spring of 2019 between the two rounds of Ukrainian elections, and second during the last summit of the Normandy format leaders in December 2019.

"But Putin did not want the armed conflict in Donbas to be resolved peacefully. It was a conflict he organized, which ultimately unleashed a large-scale war. Ukraine must win this war,” Macron reiterated.

"We support Ukraine. We will resolutely accompany it until victory and the restoration of its legitimate rights... We will continue our efforts in terms of defensive supplies," the French president continued.

Macron also indicated that Ukraine can count on the support of France and other European allies, emphasizing that "Russia cannot and must not win."

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who spoke third, reassured Zelenskyy that allies would support his country, including militarily, "for as long as it takes" to repel the Russian invasion.

"We are committed to Ukraine. We have supported it with financial, humanitarian, and military aid, including heavy artillery, air defense systems, and most recently decided to supply combat tanks, and we will continue to do so for as long as necessary," asserted the German Chancellor.

Zelenskyy, speaking after the French president, expressed gratitude to the leaders of the two European countries for their support of Ukraine "during these past months," recalling that Macron was the first to decide to send tanks to Ukraine, while Scholz had been particularly effective in supplying air defense systems.

"We have gone through a lot from last February to this February. We have ensured strong unity between us and Europe. We have strengthened the continent. We have strengthened Ukraine. We don’t have much time right now. And this is not about today. It’s about the weeks and months ahead of us. It’s about the weapons we need. We must strengthen our common positions—Ukraine’s and all Europeans’,” Zelenskyy stated, indicating that "France and Germany have the potential to be game-changers," meaning they can effectively influence the course of the war.

"Everything is clear. The sooner Ukraine receives long-range weapons... Emmanuel, the sooner our pilots get modern aircraft... Olaf, the stronger our tank coalition is, the sooner the Russian aggression will end, and we will confidently return to peaceful Europe," said the Ukrainian president.

"Emmanuel, I know how important it has been for you that Europe is strong. Olaf, I know that you have always followed rational policies. Ending the Russian aggression more quickly is the most rational thing that can happen," Zelenskyy concluded.