Volodymyr Zelenskiy travels to Paris on Friday to seek assurances of continued Western support as the widening Middle East war draws global attention away from Ukraine's fight against Russia.
The conflict involving Iran has raised concerns in Kyiv that weapons supplies could be diverted elsewhere, particularly air defence systems that Ukraine urgently needs to counter Russian missile and drone attacks.
Zelensky has warned that Ukraine already faces a serious shortage of air defence missiles. Gulf states defending themselves against Iranian strikes are also using large numbers of interceptor systems, potentially tightening global supplies and complicating efforts by Ukraine's Western allies to maintain military aid.
As reported by a French presidency official:
The key message of this visit, and its primary purpose, is to show that nothing - no crisis, no development - will divert our attention from Ukraine, which remains for us a major security issue. Our support for Ukraine will not waver.