France and Germany will provide more air defense hardware for Ukraine after "massive" Russian airstrikes in recent days, the key EU members said in a joint statement on Friday, August 29. "France and Germany will provide additional air defense to Ukraine," they said, after President Emmanuel Macron hosted German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for a visit to the south of France. "Despite intensive international diplomatic efforts, Russia shows no intention to end its war of aggression against Ukraine," they added.
Russian missiles and drones ripped through apartment blocks in Kyiv on Thursday in the deadliest attack on the capital in months, killing at least 23 people, including four children, and wounding around 50 others.
The two countries added that France – the EU's only nuclear-armed power – and Germany are to open a "strategic dialogue" over nuclear deterrence in light of shared security challenges. The goal will be developing a "common strategic culture, further interlinking our security and defense objectives and strategies," they said. The two countries noted that nuclear deterrence is a "cornerstone" of NATO security.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will have "played" US counterpart Donald Trump if the Kremlin chief fails to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Macron said. He expressed hope that such a meeting would take place, but said if the Russian leader did not meet a Monday deadline to agree to the talks, "it will show again President Putin has played President Trump," and warned that France would push for new "primary and secondary sanctions" to pressure Moscow.
During the press conference, Macron also vowed to serve out his term despite a political crisis over budget policies that on September 8 will see a confidence vote that could topple his prime minister. "The mandate entrusted to me by the French people... will be served out until its end, in line with the committment I made to them," he said.