This is a trip that had been planned since mid-January. Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Foreign Minister, announced on Saturday January 29 that he will be visiting Ukraine on February 7 and 8 with his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock.
“I assured Dmytro Kuleba today [le ministre des affaires étrangères ukrainien] our full support and solidarity with Ukraine. Our mobilization continues, particularly in the “Normandy format”, for the de-escalation of tensions, he wrote on Twitter. I will be going to Ukraine on February 7 and 8 with Annalena Baerbock. »
Florence Parly, the Minister for the Armed Forces, declared on France Inter that the Head of State recalled that “France was ready, if NATO so decided, to deploy military elements in Romania, a country bordering Ukraine, in order to be able to contribute to this reassurance”. The minister says she went to Romania on Thursday to “discuss on this question”. A meeting must be held “very soon with NATO members”.
Discussions with Vladimir Putin
Emmanuel Macron spoke on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he urged to “respect the sovereignty of States” by evoking the troops massed by Russia on the Ukrainian border. He then discussed with the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, with whom he reaffirmed France’s solidarity.
In London, Boris Johnson said to himself “determined to accelerate diplomatic efforts and strengthen deterrence to avoid bloodshed in Europe”, according to a Downing Street spokeswoman on Friday evening. The British Prime Minister is to meet in the coming days with Vladimir Putin, before traveling to the region.
For his part, the Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, is expected in Kiev on Tuesday. “Poland supports Ukraine to prevent Russian aggression”tweeted Polish government spokesman Piotr Müller.
Joe Biden, the President of the United States, said on Friday: “I will be sending American troops to Eastern Europe and NATO countries soon, not a lot. » Some 8,500 American soldiers have already been put on alert to reinforce NATO.