Visit to Kyiv
France’s Foreign Minister: Ukraine is and remains a priority
Dmytro Kuleba (r) and Stéphane Séjourné visit the memorial wall of the fallen soldiers of Ukraine in Kiev. photo
© Efrem Lukatsky/AP/dpa
Just one day after taking office, the new French Foreign Minister travels to Kiev. “The future of Ukraine is in the European Union,” emphasizes Stéphane Séjourné.
The new French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné has Ukraine assured France’s continued support. “Despite increasing crises, Ukraine is and remains France’s priority,” said Séjourné during a visit to Kiev just a day after taking office.
“In Ukraine today it is about defending the basic principles of international law, the values of Europe and also the security of the French,” emphasized the Foreign Minister after a meeting with his Ukrainian colleague Dmytro Kuleba.
According to Ukrainian media, the meeting also discussed EU and NATO perspectives for the country attacked by Russia. In view of the currently particularly violent attacks, Kuleba once again appealed to the West to block the export of goods to Russia that can be used for weapons production there. “I would like to remind you that numerous Western-made components have already been found more than once in Russian missiles that flew over the heads of Ukrainians,” he said.
Séjourné said France wanted to do all it could at the EU summit in early February to ensure that new financial aid for Ukraine was approved. The money is also intended for long-term investments in infrastructure and for the energy transition. Séjourné also emphasized: “The future of Ukraine is in the European Union.”