Zelensky says he will meet Macron during UN General Assembly

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday he and French counterpart Emmanuel Macron will meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, where leaders will speak next week.

The meeting comes as Zelensky is trying to muster more Western defence systems and cooperation for his country, which is under intensified attack from Russia as Moscow's invasion drags on in its fifth year.

"Spoke with Emmanuel Macron. Discussed the situation in the diplomatic process in detail" as well as "steps to stop this terrible Russian war", Zelensky said on X.

"We truly appreciate France's support in protecting our people. Agreed to meet with Emmanuel in the near future on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly," he said.

France and Britain lead an ad hoc grouping of Ukraine allies called the Coalition of the Willing, which provides military and diplomatic support for Kyiv. The United States is not part of the group.

Zelensky has already said that he plans to meet US President Donald Trump in New York at the end of September, after Trump's special envoys made trips last week to Moscow and Kyiv.

Washington is seeking ways to revive a mediated path towards ending the war, even though much of its attention -- and munitions -- are focused on the ongoing US war against Iran.