Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot shake hands during their meeting in Kyiv last month. AFP File Photo
Ukraine's allies should not prejudge how Donald Trump will manage the war in Ukraine, France's foreign minister stated on Monday, as French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated their backing for Kyiv during discussions in Paris. Trump has frequently criticized the extent of Western assistance to Kyiv and has pledged to resolve the conflict quickly, without detailing how. His win in last week's presidential election has raised concerns in Kyiv and other European capitals about the future level of US support for Ukraine.
"Facing the speculation on what might be the positions or initiatives of the new US administration, I believe we should not prejudge and must give (the administration) time," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said at the Paris Peace Forum. However, Barrot emphasized that any initiatives must guarantee that Ukraine itself decides the timing and conditions for engaging in a negotiation process. In the meantime, he noted, Western allies must provide Kyiv with all the necessary resources to repel invading Russian forces.
"Ukraine, and by extension the international community, would have too much to lose if Russia imposed the law of the strongest," he said. Separately, Macron's office stated that the French president and Britain's Starmer discussed the Ukraine situation during a ceremony on Monday to mark the anniversary of Armistice Day, which ended World War One in 1918.
"Regarding the situation in Ukraine, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to coordinate closely, emphasizing their unwavering determination to support Ukraine for as long as necessary to thwart Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine," a statement read. France's defense minister announced on Sunday that Paris was sending a new batch of long-range missiles to Ukraine to enable it to strike behind Russian lines.
"Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has met President-elect Trump several times, and I have no doubt that a strong relationship will be established with the new administration...," Barrot said on Monday. Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen told the same forum that it was time for Ukraine's allies to sharpen their analysis of Russia.
"It's not just about Ukraine. The threat Russia poses to humanity is existential and does not begin or end with Ukraine," Valtonen said, noting that her country joined NATO last year in response to Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Trump recently spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and advised him not to escalate the Ukraine war, a source familiar with the conversation told Reuters on Sunday, though the Kremlin denied on Monday that the two men had spoken.
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