During a Defense Council meeting at the Elysée around Emmanuel Macron, “it was decided to deliver additional defense equipment to the Ukrainian authorities as well as fuel support”, indicated the presidency, without give details.
These “important decisions” were taken “in view of the evolution of the situation in Ukraine”, indicated the Elysée. Ukraine recently submitted to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces a list of military equipment, in particular anti-aircraft defense, which it urgently needs.
Greater penalties
Also, France will strengthen economic and financial sanctions against Russia, targeting in particular access to the Swift interbank platform, the Elysée announced on Saturday evening. President Emmanuel Macron “acted a strengthening of economic and financial sanctions in coordination with the Europeans and the Americans”, as well as “national measures to freeze the financial assets of Russian personalities”, and finally “new measures”, to be taken “with European partners regarding the Swift facility”, reported the Elysée.
Measures will also be taken to fight against the “propaganda” coming from Russia on the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army. “Measures have been taken to combat propaganda from Russian influencers and media on European soil,” said the French presidency, without giving details. The RT France channel and the Sputnik agency could be concerned “but not only”. But, “there is no immediate decision” for RT and Sputnik because the specific media law applies for them and Paris wishes to “act in coordination with European partners”, according to the Elysée.
Interview with his counterpart from Belarus
Emmanuel Macron, who is presiding over the European Union for six months, spoke by telephone before this council with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, then the Moldovan presidents Maïa Sandu and the Georgian presidents Salomé Zourabichvili, whom he assured of his “determination” to “defend (the) sovereignty and (the) security” of these two former Soviet republics. Mr. Lukashenko also said that his country was ready to host “peace talks (…) anytime and anywhere in Belarus”, a vassal country of Moscow, according to the same source.
The Head of State had previously insisted on Saturday morning: the conflict “will last” and “we must prepare for it”, he stressed, announcing to agricultural officials at the Agricultural Show a forthcoming “plan of resilience” to “secure” the sectors and “build shields in terms of costs […]in the time “.