Zelenskyy thanks France for transfer of light tanks after Caesar howitzer artillery

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked France for the decision of sending AMX-10 RC armored fighting vehicles to Ukraine after the call between the two counterparts. "This is the first time that Western-made armored vehicles are being delivered in support of the Ukrainian army," a French official said in a statement. No further details about the number of vehicles to be sent were given by either country. AMX-10, manufactured by GIAT can carry four crew, is an armored reconnaissance vehicle with a high level of mobility. 

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday thanked French President Emmanuel Macron "for the decision to transfer light tanks and Bastion APCs to Ukraine," on Twitter. 

France supplied Ukraine with six Caesar howitzer artillery pieces 

France already transferred Ukraine six Caesar howitzer artillery pieces in October and is expected to send the air defense weaponry. Macron stated that France will dispatch additional self-propelled howitzers and air defense systems to help Ukraine fight the Russian assaults on its territory. The Caesar ACS was originally transferred to Denmark, along with the anti-aircraft missiles “to protect Ukraine from missile strikes and drones.” France did not specify the exact amount of missiles that were transferred to Kyiv. 

In their talks earlier, Zelenskyy and Macron had agreed to ramp up cooperation and efforts in countering the Russian military offensive and had agreed to coordinate further actions on the provision of providing security assistance to Ukraine. French President Macron had also supported the departure of the first ship of Ukrainian grain from Odesa port in an UN-brokered deal. Zelenskyy has since expressed gratitude to the French counterpart for his contribution to the efforts aimed to fight the impunity of Russia. Paris had also earlier sent a group of medics and gendarmes to Ukraine to establish the facts of crimes committed by the Russian aggressor. 

Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Wednesday, at a conference, slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin saying that he had nothing on his mind but to destroy the neighboring country of Ukraine and Europe. Speaking at a conference in Portugal's capital, Lisbon, Baerbock noted that European Union had tried everything to stop the war in Ukraine, but must still do more to protect the ally nation. She urged to ramp up the weapons supply, saying it is "important to keep up the delivery of weapons so Ukraine can defend itself and protect people's lives."