During a meeting in Paris on January 16, Presidents of Ukraine and France Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron signed a bilateral agreement on security cooperation within the framework of the Group of Seven’s declaration.
According to the French president, the bilateral agreement “concretizes the commitments we made with the G7 countries at the NATO Summit in Vilnius last July.”
Long-term and collective commitment – Macron
“Our support is not only long-term, but also has a collective intention, as the Great Britain and Germany have already signed this agreement”.
Emmanuel Macron, French President
France pledged 3 billion euros in military aid for Ukraine in 2024
The French President announced “up to 3 billion euros” in additional military aid for Ukraine in 2024.
“By helping our Ukrainian partners to defend themselves, we are investing in our own security”, Mr Macron was quoted as saying by Le Monde.
“By helping our Ukrainian partners to defend themselves, we are investing in our own security. In doing so, we are defending Ukraine, but also what binds us together, the defense of the same values”.
Emmanuel Macron, French President
Russia’s “change in posture demands a collective response” – Macron
Emmanuel Macron denounced a “change in posture” on the part of Russia, which “demands a collective response”, referring to cyber-attacks against Western countries and fears of nuclear weapons being deployed in space.
Referring to “concerns expressed in recent days about Russia’s possible deployment of nuclear weapons in space”, the French leader said that “Russia [must] without delay provide explanations”.
Macron added that Moscow had “crossed several lines” in its cyberattacks, saying he saw in them “a desire for aggression”.
EN DIRECT | Conférence de presse du Président @EmmanuelMacron et du Président de l’Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. https://t.co/o37pZDwIJ5
— Élysée (@Elysee) February 16, 2024
Ukraine signed agreements on security guarantees with Germany and the UK
As part of his international tour, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Paris on February 16 to meet with Emmanuel Macron and sign an agreement on security guarantees.
Prior to his visit to Paris, Mr Zelenskyy visited Berlin, where he and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz signed a bilateral agreement on security cooperation as per the G7 declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine.
The signing of this agreement was a historic step, according to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“Today, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and I signed an agreement on our long-term security commitments. A historic step.”
Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor
Germany has pledged to continue providing security and military support to Ukraine for the entire term of the agreement, which is set at 10 years.
“Germany intends to provide unwavering support to Ukraine for as long as it takes to help Ukraine defend itself, restore its territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, and secure its free and democratic future”.
Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor
Before that, Ukraine signed bilateral security agreements with the United Kingdom.
The G7 had decided in July 2023 to sign bilateral security agreements with Ukraine on security guarantees for the country which has been suffering from a devastating war launched by Russia.
In addition to the G7 powers, twenty-five other Western countries are negotiating with Ukraine on security agreements. Italy and Japan are close to concluding an agreement, while Norway and Sweden have made good progress.
