France 'ready' to provide security guarantees to Ukraine after Moscow-Kyiv war is over

France is ready to provide Ukraine with security guarantees but only after the end of the war, said a spokesperson for French President Emmanuel Macron, according to Segodnya News. The spokesperson also said that the guarantees by France would include the supply of military equipment and be “strong enough to prevent a new war."  Media reports have stated that the French official also said that the security guarantees offered by Paris would look more like the defence clause that the European Union (EU) presently has among the members of the bloc. 

The official also said that the security guarantees would not be similar to the defence mechanism similar to NATO’s Article 5. It is pertinent to note that the system of future international security guarantees for Ukraine was one of the topics of discussion when US, EU and NATO leaders held talks on Tuesday, Ever since Russia launched the “special military operation” to ‘demilitarise’ Ukraine, the West has ramped up anti-Russia measures including sanctions on Moscow. 

Showing solidarity with Ukraine, several European leaders have already visited the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Meanwhile, a visit by high-ranking US officials is also in the planning, as per reports. The Russia-Ukraine war has now entered day 56 and while no breakthrough on ceasefire has been achieved, Moscow has accused Kyiv of “inconsistency” in peace negotiations. 

US, NATO, EU agreed to ‘increase Russia’s isolation’

The United States, European Union (EU) leaders and NATO reached a “broad consensus” to ramp up measures against Moscow amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. According to the official release by the Italian government, Prime Minister Mario Draghi held a fresh video conference on Tuesday with the leaders of other countries as the Moscow-Kyiv war entered the 56th day. 

All leaders including US President Joe Biden and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg raised “strong concern” over the continuation of the military offensive in Ukraine by Russian forces while also calling for a ceasefire “as soon as possible”. All of them “confirmed the importance of close coordination on supporting Ukraine in all its dimensions, with particular regard to the contribution to the country's budget.” 

EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel and the leaders of Canada, Italy, Romania and Poland took part in the meeting along with Biden, Stoltenberg, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

In a bid to increase Russia’s ‘isolation’, the Italian PM’s office said in a statement, “Broad consensus was expressed on the need to step up pressure on the Kremlin, including through the adoption of further sanctions, and to increase Moscow's international isolation.”

“The common commitment to diversify energy sources was reiterated, thereby reducing dependence on Russian supplies,” it indeed. 

Image: AP