French Foreign Minister to visit Ukraine this weekend
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot (Getty Images)
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot will visit Ukraine this weekend to reaffirm support for Kyiv. During the visit, he is expected to meet with Ukrainian politicians, according to Le Monde.
"I am going to Ukraine to remind the world on behalf of France that we are not turning our back on the crisis. The security of our continent, including food and energy security, depends on the events in Ukraine," the minister said.
He added that the situation in Ukraine is a humanitarian catastrophe, particularly highlighting the tragic fate of children who have been kidnapped and deported by Russian forces.
Barrot said that, just like his predecessors, he is firmly convinced that Ukraine's capitulation to Russia is unacceptable, as it would "sanctify the right of the strongest," which is intolerable for France.
According to a diplomatic source at Agence France-Presse, Barrot will depart on Friday and spend the weekend in Ukraine, where he will meet with his Ukrainian counterpart.
French aid to Ukraine
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, France has been actively providing military support to Ukraine. Notably, Paris has supplied Ukrainian armed forces with long-range SCALP missiles.
Discussions are currently ongoing about the use of these missiles to strike targets within Russian territory. However, French authorities have not yet authorized the use of SCALP missiles for such operations.
Earlier, the French Minister of Defense announced that Ukraine could receive Mirage 2000-5F fighter jets from France as early as the beginning of 2025.
