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France pledges support for Ukraine's plan to end Russian occupation

2024-10-19 20:20:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has pledged his country will support Ukraine's plan to end its more than two-and-a-half-year war with Russia, saying in Kiev on Saturday that he would work with Ukrainian officials to ensure the support of other countries for this plan.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week unveiled Kiev's "victory plan" to Western leaders, which he hopes will force Russia to end its occupation of Ukraine through talks.

That plan is being reviewed by Ukraine's Western partners, whose support has been vital in Kiev's efforts to stand up to its larger neighbor.

A key point in the plan is the request for a formal invitation for Ukraine to become a member of NATO, which Western backers have been reluctant to consider until the war is over.

"A Russian victory would be bowing to the law of the strong and would push the international order into chaos," Barrot said at a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha.

"That's why our exchanges should enable us to make progress on President Zelensky's victory plan and convince as many countries as possible to support him," he added.

Since the invasion began in 2022, France has been one of the most powerful military, diplomatic and economic supporters of Ukraine in Europe.

It is training and equipping a new brigade of Ukrainian soldiers for deployment on the front line.

French President Emmanuel Macron has also previously called for a policy shift by Ukraine's western allies that could change the nature of the war - allowing Kiev to strike military bases inside Russia with sophisticated long-range weapons provided by Western partners, including missiles from France.

Long-range weapons are a key part of Zelensky's five-point plan, but so far Kiev's allies have been reluctant to give it the green light.

Barrot also announced that France will make the first delivery of Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine in the first three months of 2025. Ukrainian pilots and mechanics have been trained to operate and maintain them.

"By facing the occupier with extraordinary courage, you are not only fighting for the territorial integrity of Ukraine, but you are also holding a front line that separates Europe from Vladimir Putin's Russia, that separates freedom from oppression," the French minister said in Kiev./ Rel