Paris, 15 May 2023 (dpa/MIA) - France has promised new military support to Ukraine for its defence against Russia.

New supplies would be prepared to address the most pressing and immediate needs to strengthen Ukraine's defences, according to a Ukraine-France joint statement published by the Élysée Palace on Sunday night.

The statement said that Paris would continue to help Kiev defend itself, "focusing its effort in supporting Ukraine's air defence capacities in order to defend its population against Russian strikes."

The statement was released following a three-hour-long working dinner between French President Emmanuel Macron and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, who made a surprise trip to France on the heel of visits to Germany and Italy.

Photo: MIA archive