KYIV — New French Overseas Minister Stephane Sejourne on a shock go to sought to reassure Kyiv that it could actually rely on assist from Paris following the cupboard reshuffle in France over the previous week and that Ukraine will stay “France’s precedence” because it continues to battle the Russian invasion.
“Ukraine is and can stay France’s precedence. The protection of the elemental ideas of worldwide legislation is being performed out in Ukraine,” he informed a Kyiv information convention alongside his counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, on January 13.
“Russia is hoping that Ukraine and its supporters will tire earlier than it does. We won’t weaken. That’s the message that I’m carrying right here to the Ukrainians. Our willpower is unbroken,” mentioned Sejourne, who was making his first overseas journey since being appointed to the place on January 11.
WATCH: After Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a ”partial mobilization” in fall 2022, over 300,000 reservists have been drafted into the struggle in Ukraine, which Russia calls a ”particular navy operation.” A 12 months later, girls fashioned The Means Residence initiative to demand that their members of the family be discharged and despatched again residence. The ladies put on white shawls as an emblem of their protest.
Kuleba thanked Sejourne for making his journey to Kyiv regardless of “one other large shelling by Russia. I’m grateful to him for his braveness, for not turning again.”
Sejourne arrived within the Ukrainian capital inside hours of a mixed missile-and-drone assault by Russia that triggered Ukrainian air defenses in a number of southern and jap areas early on January 13.
Sejourne’s go to represented the newest Western present of assist for Kyiv in its ongoing struggle to repel Russia’s 22-month-old full-scale invasion.
”For nearly 2 years, Ukraine has been on the entrance line to defend its sovereignty and make sure the safety of Europe,” Sejourne mentioned on X, previously Twitter. ”France’s help is long-term.”
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Ukraine has struggled to safe additional funding for its marketing campaign from america and the European Union, the latter of which is grappling with opposition from member Hungary.
The French Overseas Ministry posted a picture of Sejourne and mentioned he’d ”arrived in Kyiv for his first journey to the sphere, as a way to proceed French diplomatic motion there and to reiterate France’s dedication to its allies and alongside civilian populations.”
”Regardless of the multiplying disaster, Ukraine is and can stay France’s precedence,” AFP later quoted Sejourne as saying in Kyiv. He mentioned ”the elemental ideas of worldwide legislation and the values of Europe, in addition to the safety pursuits of the French” are at stake there.
Earlier, the Normal Employees of Ukraine’s navy mentioned Russia had launched 40 missiles and assault drones focusing on Ukrainian territory.
It mentioned Ukrainian air defenses shot down eight of the incoming assaults and 20 others missed their targets. It mentioned the Russian weapons included ”winged, cardio, ballistic, aviation, anti-controlled missiles, and affect BPLAs.”
They reportedly focused the jap Kharkiv, Luhansk, and Donetsk areas.
RFE/RL can’t independently affirm claims by both aspect in areas of the heaviest fight.
Air alerts sounded in a number of areas of Ukraine.
A day earlier, Polish radio and different experiences quoted lately inaugurated Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk as saying he would go to Ukraine quickly to debate joint safety efforts and to speak about Polish truckers’ grievances over EU benefits for Ukrainian haulers.
Tusk, a former Polish chief and European Council president who was sworn in for a brand new time period as Polish prime minister in mid-December, has been a vocal advocate of robust Polish and EU assist for Ukraine.
”I actually need the Ukrainian issues of struggle and, extra broadly safety, in addition to coverage towards Russia, to be joint, in order that not solely the president and the prime minister, however the Polish state as a complete act in solidarity in these points,” Tusk mentioned.
The U.S. Congress has been divided over further help to Ukraine, with many Republicans opposing President Joe Biden’s hopes for billions extra in assist.
An EU help proposal of round 50 billion euros ($55 billion) was blocked by Hungary, though different members have mentioned they may pursue ”technical” or different technique of skirting Budapest’s resistance as quickly as potential.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has warned that delays in help can severely hamper Ukrainians’ ongoing efforts to defeat invading Russian forces.
With reporting by RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service