‘Ukraine will remain France’s priority’

Sejourne arrived in Kyiv as Ukraine saw another wave of overnight strikes from Russia, which has intensified its aerial attacks recently….reports Asian Lite News

France’s new foreign minister Stephane Sejourne on Saturday renewed his country’s support to Ukraine, choosing Kyiv for his first official visit abroad, as the war with Russia nears a second anniversary.

Sejourne arrived in Kyiv as Ukraine saw another wave of overnight strikes from Russia, which has intensified its aerial attacks recently.

The visit took place as allies struggle to secure funding, with some worrying that Kyiv could be forgotten amid new conflicts, including between Israel and Hamas.

“Despite the multiplying crisis, Ukraine is and will remain France’s priority,” Sejourne said.

The freshly-appointed foreign minister explained that “the fundamental principles of international law and the values of Europe, as well as the security interests of the French” were at stake in Ukraine.

Sejourne, 38, who unlike his predecessor Catherine Colonna has no background as a professional diplomat, had already pledged continued support.

Aid promised to Ukraine between August and October 2023 fell almost 90 percent from the same period in 2022, reaching its lowest point since the start of the war, according to a Kiel Institute survey from December.

An EU aid package worth 50 billion euros ($55 billion) has been stuck in Brussels, while the US Congress remains divided on sending additional aid to Ukraine.

“Russia hopes Ukraine and its supporters will get tired before it does. We will not falter,” Sejourne added.

But Russia, bolstering its arsenal, has geared up for a long war and reoriented its economy.

It has in recent weeks intensified its aerial assaults on the war-torn country.

Russia launched 40 missiles and drones over the country in an overnight barrage, the Ukrainian air force said.

It destroyed eight missiles and disabled over 20 devices.

“Either they fell in the fields, they were detonated in the air, or they were affected by means of radio-electronic warfare of our defense forces,” air force spokesman Yuri Ignat said on television.

Russia said it targeted places producing ammunition and drones and had hit “all designated facilities.”

Ukrainian authorities did not report any dead in the latest barrage but one civilian was wounded in the Sumy region.

In a press conference alongside Sejourne, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba praised the minister’s “important” visit immediately after his appointment, and despite the Russian strikes.

“I am grateful to you for your courage, for the fact that he did not turn around on the way,” Kuleba said.

He added that they had “discussed the further supply of systems and missiles to protect the Ukrainian sky, as well as the supply of drones to Ukraine.”

France’s military support to Ukraine amounts to 3.2 billion euro, according to a parliamentary report published in November.

France has provided artillery and air defense means to Ukraine, Sejourne said.

“We are entering a new phase of defense cooperation” aiming to “strengthen Ukraine’s capacity to produce the weapons it needs on its own soil,” he added.

Kuleba confirmed that the two countries had agreed to “work on creating the most favorable conditions for the interaction of our defense companies” including legally.

The day before, Kyiv had seen the visit of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who announced a new multibillion-dollar aid package for Ukraine and pledged London’s support for a decade.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the “unprecedented” 10-year security cooperation agreement as well as the £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion) in new military aid earmarked for 2024.

Sunak announces increase in Ukraine aid

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has signed a new security agreement with Ukraine’s president and announced an increase in military funding for the war-wracked country during a visit to Kyiv.

Britain, one of Ukraine’s closest allies during the Russian invasion, will increase its support in the next financial year to 2.5 billion pounds ($3.2bn), an increase of 200 million pounds ($255m) on the previous two years, Sunak said on Friday.

“Our opponents around the world believe that we have neither the patience nor resources for long wars, so waver now, and we embolden not just [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, but his allies in North Korea, Iran and elsewhere,” Sunak told a press conference.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine and Britain also signed an “unprecedented security agreement” on Friday, an accord that would remain in effect until Ukraine joins the NATO military alliance.

“This is not simply a declaration. This is a reality that will come to fruition as a result of our cooperation, including security commitments from a major global power, the United Kingdom. If the UK and other countries had provided such a level of guarantees after 1991, there would have been no Russian aggression at all,” Zelenskyy wrote on the social media platform X.

He added that the common goal was to ensure that an attack on Ukraine “will never happen again” once the war ends.

During the press conference, Sunak urged his Western allies to maintain their support for Ukraine and warned that a Russian victory would encourage other authoritarian countries.

Zelenskyy also told reporters that Ukraine was more positive now than in December about securing aid from the United States.

Britain is the second-biggest donor of military aid to Ukraine after the US, giving a total of 4.6 billion pounds ($3.3bn) in 2022 and 2023.

“I am here today with one message: The UK will also not falter,” Sunak said.

“We will stand with Ukraine in their darkest hours and in the better times to come,” he added in his initial remarks after his arrival in the capital.

Sunak first visited Ukraine in November 2022, soon after he became prime minister. Britain has been one of Ukraine’s most vocal backers.

Ahead of his visit, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had warned that any move by Britain to deploy troops to Ukraine would be a “declaration of war against our country”.

Both Ukraine and Russia are scrambling to replenish their weapons after 22 months of fighting and the potential for a protracted conflict. The roughly 1,500km (930-mile) front line has been largely static during winter, and both warring sides require artillery shells, missiles and drones that enable long-range strikes.

Kyiv says Moscow is receiving artillery shells and missiles from North Korea and drones from Iran. On January 4, the White House cited US intelligence officials as saying that Russia acquired ballistic missiles from North Korea and is seeking them from Iran.

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