French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to provide further support to Ukraine so that it can conduct peace talks with Russia "under the best possible conditions".

Macron said on TV channel France 5 "we feel that some European countries are beginning to have doubts" about the assistance provided to Kyiv. He also mentioned the possible comeback of Donald Trump to the White House.

Macron added that "in the coming months, we will have to make some choices" in this conflict. 

"We have to ensure that Russia does not win, which means continuing to support and strengthen the defence of Kyiv and its key fronts," Macron said.

He stated that the goal is for Ukraine "to be able to conduct peace talks under the best possible conditions". "We will not abandon Ukraine," Macron reiterated.

At his end-of-year press conference, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that the European Union and the United States would eventually approve the planned financial assistance packages for Ukraine in 2024, although the question remains as to when exactly this will happen.

The European Union will hold a special summit on 1 February 2024 to discuss the allocation of €50 billion in additional aid to Ukraine over a four-year period.