OP-ED– February 24, 2024 marked the second anniversary of the launch of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Two years ago, Vladimir Putin announced a special operation lasting a few weeks. It failed. Aggressed Ukraine is on its feet, buoyed by the courage and resistance of its people, more united than ever. It is also on the road to Europe.
Europe has shown solidarity, unity and strength in the face of this Russian aggression. It will not waver. Our support for Ukraine is long-term. It will continue for as long as the aggressed Ukraine needs us. Alongside its European partners, France stands resolutely by Ukraine.
Indeed, letting Russia win its imperialist war and prevail in its revisionist work is not an option. In addition to the freedom of the Ukrainian people, the security of the entire European continent is at stake. An emboldened Russia would pose an even greater threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all its neighbors, as well as to the security of all states that defend freedom and international law. Far beyond Europe, it is in no-one’s interest for an uninhibited Russia to promote a world order based on the unilateral use of brute force, and provoke an endless multiplication of conflicts.
Against this backdrop, on February 16, 2024 in Paris, as a token of France’s unwavering support for Ukraine, President Emmanuel Macron signed a bilateral security agreement for the next ten years with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Under this agreement, France is committed to providing up to 3 billion euros in additional military aid for Ukraine in 2024, after 1.7 billion euros in 2022 and 2.1 billion euros in 2023. The aim of this aid is to continue to provide Ukraine with the means to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity over the long term. France is also committed to continuing its support for Ukraine in all areas, including the supply of military equipment and training. The agreement also looks beyond the war, and includes a civilian aid component for the country’s reconstruction.
We are also confronted with a recent intensification of Russia’s destabilizing actions around the world: cyber-attacks against civilian infrastructures; nuclear blackmail; attempts to disrupt the international grain and fertilizer trade to the detriment of the countries of the South and Africa; instrumentalization of migrants; disinformation campaigns based on fake news… This hardening of the Kremlin regime’s stance calls for collective reactions.
Russian strategy also relies on the terror it inflicts on its own nationals, on dissenting voices and free spirits in its own country. The death of Alexei Navalny is the latest chilling illustration. France holds the Russian authorities responsible for his death. Russia is sending its free spirits to the Gulag. The elimination of Alexei Navalny shows the weakness of the Kremlin and its fear of any opposition. France salutes Alexei Navalny’s courage, his commitment and now his memory.
