Two years to the day after the start of the war in Ukraine, many nations, including the United States, the Netherlands, Italy and the United Kingdom, have renewed their long-term support for Kiev. Support illustrated in France by the organization in record time of a conference bringing together around twenty foreign heads of state and government.
This meeting will be held in the presidential palace. It will begin at 5 p.m. and will continue “as late as necessary”, warned the Élysée to our colleagues at Parisian. The heads of state and government of 17 countries have confirmed their presence: Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Romania. In addition, ministerial representatives from Canada, the United States (an assistant to Secretary of State Antony Blinken), the United Kingdom (Foreign Secretary David Cameron) and Sweden will be present.
Strengthening cooperation among Ukraine’s allies
What objective for this international meeting? “Our message will be to show our determination to do whatever is necessary to defeat Russia. We are not fatalistic, in a way doom and gloom (unhappiness and sadness). We are determined”, explains the Élysée, still in the columns of the daily newspaper. In a context of growing pressure from the Russians on the front line, shortage of ammunition on the Ukrainian side and while “Western fatigue” looms, particularly in Poland , the objective is indeed to close the ranks of Ukraine’s allies and “to make Russia, President Putin and the military apparatus doubtful”, continues the presidency.
“This working meeting will make it possible to study the means available to strengthen cooperation between partners in support of Ukraine,” the Elysée said earlier in the week.
Addressing the issue of financial support
These discussions should also make it possible to address the crucial question of financial and military support for Ukraine, while American aid is drying up and is currently frozen, blocked by President Joe Biden’s Republican rivals in Congress. In this context, Emmanuel Macron has already called on Europeans for a “collective burst” during the signing of a bilateral security agreement with President Zelensky on Friday February 16 in Paris.
France has thus committed to providing “up to 3 billion euros” of “additional” military aid to Kiev in 2024, after support which it estimates at 1.7 billion in 2022 and 2.1 billion in 2023. “Our commitment to you will not weaken,” said Emmanuel Macron during a joint conference with Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday evening. “It not only marks our long-term support, but also a collective approach since the United Kingdom and Germany have already concluded a comparable agreement.”