Morning Chronicle - Zelensky denies ceasefire with Russia under discussion on trip

Zelensky was seeking a military and financial boost during a 48-hour trip to London, Paris, Rome and Berlin, amid fears of dwindling support if Donald Trump becomes US president next month.

Speaking to reporters after talks with President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, Zelensky denied media reports that he was discussing the terms of a ceasefire with Russia.

"This is not the topic of our discussions," he said. "It's not right. Russia works a lot with media disinformation so it (such reports) is understandable," he added.

Zelensky has rejected any peace plan that involves ceding land to Russia, arguing Moscow must first withdraw all troops from Ukrainian territory.

Zelensky also said he and Macron had discussed Kyiv's "victory plan" to defeat Russia, expressing gratitude to the French president for all his support.

"Before winter we need your support," he added, acknowledging "a difficult situation in the east" and a "big deficit" in terms of some equipment.

Without elaborating, Macron said Zelensky had outlined Ukraine's "plan for the next weeks" and the pair had discussed strategy for the "next weeks and months".

Macron emphasised he had reaffirmed France's support "for the Ukrainian resistance against the Russian invasion".

Ukraine is facing its toughest winter since the full-scale invasion started in February 2022, as Russia launches strikes on the country's power grid and advances across the eastern frontline.

The talks came after Macron on Wednesday made a highly unusual visit to a military camp in eastern France, the precise location of which was not disclosed, to meet part of a brigade of Ukrainian troops France is training.

- 'Just end to war' -

Zelensky arrived in Paris from London where he had had talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO chief Mark Rutte.

Speaking after his Downing Street meeting, Zelensky said he had "outlined the details of our victory plan", adding that it "aims to create the right conditions for a just end to the war".

The meeting, Starmer said, had been a chance to "go through the plan, to talk in more detail".

Zelensky maintains that Ukraine desperately needs more aid to fight back after Russia captured dozens of small towns and villages in the east.

He is also pushing for clearance to use long-range weapons supplied by allies, including British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles, to strike military targets deep inside Russia.

Washington and London have stalled on giving approval over fears it could draw NATO allies into direct conflict with Russia.

Zelensky said he had raised the subject at the Downing Street meeting.

Rutte told reporters "legally, that is possible because legally, Ukraine is allowed to use its weapons, if they can hit targets in Russia, if these targets present a threat to Ukraine".

But he added: "Whether individual allies do, that's in the end, always up to individual allies."

Rutte and Britain cautioned against placing too much focus on long-range missiles.

"No war has ever been won by a single weapon," Starmer's spokesman said. The talks were instead about "the range of support" for Ukraine.

A planned meeting of Ukraine's allies in Germany on Saturday was postponed after US President Joe Biden called off his visit to focus on the threat from Hurricane Milton.

- Funding -

On the ground, questions are growing about the long-term strategy of an offensive into Russia's Kursk region, given Moscow's push in the east of Ukraine.

"If this is a short-term operation, it will strengthen us," Bogdan, one serviceman sitting at a cafe in Druzhkivka, near Kramatorsk, told AFP.

"If it's a long-term operation and we plan to stay in Kursk, it will deplete our main resources."

The German-based Kiel Institute warned Thursday Western military and financial aid to Kyiv could halve to about 29 billion euros ($31 billion) in 2025 if Trump wins the November 5 election.

Trump has promised to end the war "in 24 hours" if he is elected -- a prospect Kyiv fears means being forced to make massive compromises to achieve peace.

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A.Atkinson--MC-UK