The invitation addressed to French President Emmanuel Macron to visit Kyiv is “still relevant” and Ukrainian officials hope that it will happen in the near future, Ukrainian Ambassador to France Vadym Omelshenko said on Tuesday, according to AFP.

Answering a question from the RTL radio station about the fact that American President Joe Biden went to Kyiv, but the French President did not, the diplomat emphasized that the invitation was “of course” sent.

“Unfortunately, he could not come,” he continued, adding that the invitation “is still valid.”

“We hope that this visit will eventually take place in March,” the diplomat also said.

On the occasion of the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wanted to accept the visit of the French head of state as a symbol of support for the Ukrainian people and a signal to Moscow.

Emmanuel Macron, who in June visited Kyiv for the first time since the beginning of the conflict, wants to return there with specific statements, French diplomatic sources inform.

The Ukrainian ambassador praised the “unprecedented level of support” from France since the beginning of the war. “And I really hope that France will continue to provide support,” he added.

Instead, he did not comment on Emmanuel Macron’s recent claims of aid to “crush” Russia, while warning against those who want to “crush Russia first.”

“We do not seek to destroy anyone,” Vadym Omelshenko simply commented. “We strive to protect our freedom and independence,” he continued, assuring that the goal is not to “cross the Russian border and go to Moscow.”

“We don’t need that,” he said.

The Ukrainian ambassador wanted to emphasize that Vladimir Putin is causing his people and his country “damage that no one has done before.” “They self-destruct,” he concluded.