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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that he will sign an agreement with Greece on gas imports and expects an “historic deal with France,” as he kicked off a European tour.<\/p>\n
“Fruitful diplomacy ahead,” Zelensky posted on X, in a video in which he is seen in the corridor of a train. He estimated the value of the contract with Greece at \u20ac2 billion ($2.3 billion).<\/p>\n
The imports are necessary to compensate for the shortfall in Ukrainian production as a result of the ongoing Russian air strikes on his country’s energy infrastructure. The deliveries will also be financed with European aid, he said.<\/p>\n
Zelensky hopes to strengthen the military<\/strong><\/p>\n The “historic deal” with France, where the Ukrainian leader will be on Monday, is “to strengthen our combat aviation and air defense,” he wrote. He did not provide any details, but Paris has supplied Kiev with Mirage fighter jets, among other system.<\/p>\n Zelensky said he will also visit Spain for talks “on bolstering our air defense and initiatives with partners,” but he did not specify what he would like from Madrid.<\/p>\n He did announce a wish list, stating that air defence systems and missiles were a priority for Ukraine.<\/p>\n Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian invasion for more than three and a half years. The damage to the country is enormous, mainly due to constant air attacks by Russian drones, missiles and cruise missiles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n