Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Athens, November 16, 2025. ANGELOS TZORTZINIS / AFP
As he and his country face one of their most difficult moments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is seeking reassurance from his European allies. Following a visit to Greece on Sunday and ahead of a stop in Madrid on Tuesday, he was scheduled to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday, November 17.
The two leaders were to meet at the Villacoublay air base in the Paris region. They were to proceed to the headquarters of the military force that France and the United Kingdom are working to establish in support of Kyiv, in the event of a still-distant prospect of a ceasefire with Moscow. After the failure of recent mediation efforts by the United States, a climate of great uncertainty hangs over the Ukrainian leader.
The Russian army continues to press its advantage on the front line in the east of the country, where Ukrainian forces suffer from a severe lack of troops. The city of Pokrovsk is on the verge of falling. Above all, Zelensky's visit comes as his government was shaken by the biggest corruption scandal of his presidency. Anti-corruption investigators have accused several officials and close associates of the president of embezzling some $100 million from Ukraine's energy sector.
