France to Change Weapons Supply Tactics – French Ambassador to Ukraine
France is committed to producing more weapons in Ukraine, not just donating or purchasing them.
"French support for the supply of military equipment is, of course, continuing. It will gradually change its nature, as the goal is to produce more weapons in Ukraine, rather than proceeding solely through donations or purchases," French Ambassador Gaël Veyssière said in an interview on Franceinfo.
After assuring that Paris' support for Kyiv in the supply of military equipment will continue, Veyssière added that it will take some time to transition from one strategy to another.
"What's more, this vision is supported politically, notably by (Foreign Minister) Catherine Colonna, who regularly visits Ukraine, having already made five visits to the country," Veyssière said.
Veyssière said that the foreign minister's visit to Ukraine is currently being prepared, answering the question of whether French President Emmanuel Macron plans to visit his counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"We are currently working on the sixth visit of Catherine Colonna, which will take place in the next few days. I can't tell you the date yet, but it will be in the next few days. And, of course, we are also working on other visits. The most important thing is to demonstrate France's closeness and solidarity on a daily basis," Veyssière said.
Earlier, a meeting of the Coalition for Integrated Air Defence of Ukraine was held in Berlin under the chairmanship of France and Germany.
After visiting Ukraine and Poland, a delegation from the French Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and the Armed Forces called for an increase in military assistance to Kyiv to help it counter Russian aggression.
Earlier, it was reported that France would join the training of Ukrainian pilots on Western fighter jets starting in 2024.
At the same time, French President Emmanuel Macron promised to provide further support to Ukraine so that it could conduct peace talks with Russia "under the best possible conditions".