France and Ukraine are presently in the process of finalising their agreement. During a press conference in Paris, Macron announced transportation to Ukraine of 40 long-range Scalp missiles and respective 100 bombs in the coming weeks. The president of France is about to take a journey to our east neighbours to make a deal.
“We will be able to deliver much more equipment and will mostly aid Ukraine in its needs, in peculiar in defence of its airspace. I myself will go to Ukraine in February. We cannot let Russia win," the president of France announced.
40 additional SCALP 🇫🇷 missions and hundreds of bombs for Ukraine 🇺🇦👊🏻
Emmanuel Macron pic.twitter.com/fX9i8IgurI
— La Punchline de Yakovleff (@G_Yakovleff) January 16, 2024
Historical arrangements
France has worked on this agreement for respective months, with the aim of strengthening Ukraine's defence and finance for the long term. The announcement took place after a fresh visit by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Kiev, during which a bilateral safety agreement was signed, and the United Kingdom undertook to supply military assistance to Ukraine of EUR 3 billion over the next 2 years. The paper was hailed "historical" by London.
According to Interfax-Ukraine, the agreement between Ukraine and the UK is simply a commitment to proceed support in the future. The paper covers the exchange of intelligence, cybersecurity issues and cooperation in the defence industry.
In the face of continued air strikes by Russia and the concern of the difficulties in receiving US support, European allies are expanding their commitment to aid Ukraine. Earlier the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, called for greater engagement of another EU countries in arms transportation for Ukraine, criticising the existing supplies as besides small. Germany, the second largest donor last year after the US, has committed to doubling military aid to Kiev to EUR 8 billion this year.
"Putin must realize that no army can defeat free people, so Ukraine must predict, and we will assist you in your victory," — UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the Verkhovna Rada.
🇬🇧🫱🏻🫲🏼🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/ZkGnaHlvNg
— Maria Drutska 🇺🇦 (@maria_drutska) January 12, 2024
Most of the EU wants to aid Ukraine
Macro besides stressed that France and Europe will gotta take fresh decisions in the coming weeks and months, which may be related to discussions in Brussels on a €50 billion aid package for Ukraine, which remains the subject of the dispute. The formalisation of safety cooperation is peculiarly crucial in the context of the ongoing conflict with Russia and the continuing threat to Ukraine and Europe. On 13 January in Kiev, the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenski and French abroad Minister Stephane Sejourne discussed Ukraine's defence needs.
