Zelensky to meet Pope, Scholz as whirlwind Europe tour ends

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky reacts as he arrives to attend a bilateral meeting at 10 Downing Street, central London on October 10, 2024. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in London on Thursday to meet with talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)

(AFP) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will on Friday meet Pope Francis and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as he ends a whirlwind tour of Europe aimed at drumming up support ahead of a tough winter.

Zelensky is seeking a military and financial boost during a 48-hour trip to London, Paris, Rome and Berlin, amid fears of dwindling support if Donald Trump wins the US presidency next month.

Zelensky will meet Pope Francis at the Vatican on Friday morning before flying to Berlin, where he is due to meet Scholz, whose government plans to halve its bilateral military aid to Ukraine next year.

The Ukrainian president travelled to Rome Thursday for a working dinner with Giorgia Meloni, after which the Italian prime minister announced the city would host the next "recovery conference" to help Ukraine's reconstruction on July 10-11, 2025.

"Ukraine is not alone and we will stand with it for as long as needed," Meloni told reporters after the supper.

Zelensky also held talks with France's President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, after which he denied media reports that he was discussing the terms of a ceasefire with Russia.

"This is not the topic of our discussions," he told the press in the French capital. "It's not right. Russia works a lot with media disinformation so it (such reports) is understandable," he added.

Zelensky has rejected any peace plan that involves ceding land to Russia, arguing Moscow must first withdraw all troops from Ukrainian territory.

Zelensky also said he and Macron had discussed Kyiv's "victory plan" to defeat Russia.

"Before winter we need your support," he added, acknowledging "a difficult situation in the east" and a "big deficit" in terms of some equipment.

Without elaborating, Macron said Zelensky had outlined Ukraine's "plan for the next weeks" and the pair had discussed strategy for the coming "weeks and months".

Macron emphasised he had reaffirmed France's support "for the Ukrainian resistance against the Russian invasion".

Zelensky said later on Telegram that they had discussed the possibility of France and Ukraine jointly producing arms.

- Tough winter -

Ukraine is facing its toughest winter since the full-scale invasion started in February 2022, as Russia launches strikes on the country's power grid and advances across the eastern front line.

Zelensky arrived in Paris from London where he had had talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO chief Mark Rutte.

Speaking after his Downing Street meeting, Zelensky said he had "outlined the details of our victory plan", adding that it "aims to create the right conditions for a just end to the war".

The meeting, Starmer said, had been a chance to "go through the plan, to talk in more detail".

Zelensky has said Ukraine desperately needs more aid to fight back after Russia captured dozens of small towns and villages in the east.

He is also pushing for clearance to use long-range weapons supplied by allies, to strike military targets deep inside Russia.

Washington and London have stalled on giving approval over fears it could draw NATO allies into direct conflict with Russia.

Zelensky said he had raised the subject at the Downing Street meeting.

Rutte told reporters: "Legally, Ukraine is allowed to use its weapons, if they can hit targets in Russia, if these targets present a threat to Ukraine."

A planned meeting of Ukraine's allies in Germany on Saturday was postponed after US President Joe Biden called off his visit to focus on the threat from Hurricane Milton.

© Agence France-Presse