French President Emmanuel Macron inspected Ukrainian troops undergoing training at a military camp in eastern France on Wednesday, ahead of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Paris.

This marks Macron’s first interaction with some of the 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers trained in France since the Russian invasion began in February 2022.

Zelenskyy aims to garner support for a yet-to-be-revealed victory plan and persuade allies to allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons against Russian targets.

The brigade being trained, named the “Anne de Kiev brigade,” will consist of 4,500 troops and receive significant military equipment from France, the Associated Press has reported.

Macron’s visit underscores his ongoing influence in defense matters, even as his domestic political situation has weakened.

Written by B.C. Begley