Zelensky to sign security agreement in France, address leaders at Munich conference

Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to travel to France and Germany on Friday to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The French and Ukrainian governments are preparing to sign a security cooperation deal and are expected to announce the details Friday.

"As Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine soon enters its third year, this visit will be an opportunity for the president of the republic to reaffirm France's determination to continue to provide unfailing support for Ukraine," the Elysee Palace said in a statement Thursday.

According to the France, the agreement stems from the NATO conference held in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July, where several NATO leaders proposed bilateral security agreements with Ukraine as an alternative to NATO membership.

At the time, Zelensky expressed dismay with the lack of a timeline for Ukrainian NATO membership.

"It's unprecedented and absurd when a time frame is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine's membership," Zelensky said.

The British government finalized its bilateral deal with Ukraine, which include $3.1 billion in assistance, in January.

On Saturday, Zelensky will address the Munich Security Conference, where he is expected to meet U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as leaders from the Czech Republic, Denmark and other European states.