Ukraine's allies promised yesterday to provide this country at war with immediate aid, worth more than 1,000 million euros, to resist this winter. The bulk of this emergency aid will be to guarantee the supply of energy and the transport network, drinking water, food and medical attention.
This massive support for Ukraine was announced at the end of a conference organized in Paris in which representatives of 46 countries and 24 international organizations participated.
Hours earlier, at the opening of the meeting, the Ukrainian president, Volodímir Zelenski, had intervened by videoconference to ask the world to allow his country to "survive". Zelensky denounced that "Russia tries to plunge Ukraine into darkness" with the "energy terrorism" it practices. The president stressed how important it is to send generators to replace the destruction of power plants, since these devices are allowing many companies to function and saving hundreds of thousands of jobs, in addition to providing heating in places where people can seek shelter temporary.
After announcing the realization of the aid, the Ukrainian Prime Minister, Denis Shmihal, thanked the support "of the civilized world", "of our allies in this dark time". “Our country will not be left in the dark,” he added.
In his opening speech, Macron insisted that "Ukraine is not alone" and praised the courage of its people, who "despite the horrors committed by the occupier, continue to fight for their freedom." The French president condemned Moscow's "cynical strategy" of destroying civilian infrastructure in response to military setbacks. According to Macron, these attacks "constitute war crimes" and "are intolerable acts that will not go unpunished."
The head of the Élysée, who has never wanted to completely cut direct communication channels with Vladimir Putin, uses increasingly harsh language. He has gone from warning, at the beginning of the war, that Russia should not be "humiliated", to using a tone of extreme severity and bluntly evoking the war crimes committed and the need for justice.
In the afternoon, after the international conference, another one of a Franco-Ukrainian bilateral nature took place in which were present the heads of more than 700 French companies that can participate both in emergency aid and in the future reconstruction of Ukraine when the arms fall silent. . For reasons of solidarity – but also long-term economic ones – it is in France's interest to ensure that it is present at the reconstruction.
France has already provided significant military assistance to Ukraine. The most outstanding are the 18 high-precision and highly mobile Caesar cannons. At least 100,000 Ukrainians have found refuge in France since February, including 20,000 children who are in school.
