| Translate This News In |
|---|
France will host an international conference on Tuesday to raise materials and funds to repair Ukraine’s damaged infrastructure, as well as to emphasise Paris’ ongoing support for Kyiv’s fight against Russia.
The meeting of politicians, business leaders, and aid organisations comes after French President Emmanuel Macron made new comments about the war that enraged many Ukrainians.
During an interview on December 3, Macron called for Russia to be given “security guarantees” at the end of the war, drawing criticism from some Ukrainian and eastern European politicians.
On Sunday, the French president spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, to clear the air and discuss Tuesday’s conference.
According to the French presidency, Macron “reminded President Zelensky that Ukraine can count on France’s support for as long as it is required to fully re-establish its sovereignty and national integrity.”
Both men will speak at the conference’s first session, titled “Solidarity with the Ukrainian People,” Macron in person and Zelensky via videolink.
The event will centre on how Ukraine’s Western allies can provide immediate assistance to keep the country’s civil infrastructure operational in the face of Russian bombing.
Moscow has changed tactics since October, when it began targeting Ukraine’s energy network in particular, plunging millions into cold and darkness as winter approaches.
According to Ukrainian authorities, another 1.5 million people were left without power in southern Odessa over the weekend as a result of drone attacks.
“Our immediate goal is to ensure that Ukraine’s network does not collapse and cause blackouts for several weeks,” a Macron aide told journalists last Friday. “We need immediate assistance.”
Coordination
The conference’s French organisers have emphasised that it is distinct from other recent international gatherings dedicated to long-term reconstruction in Lugano, Warsaw, or Berlin.
Instead, they hope that donors will pledge assistance ranging from engineering expertise to spare parts to carry out repairs.
Another significant outcome will be a new platform, agreed to by G7 leaders on Monday, that will allow donors to see Ukraine’s needs and coordinate their aid.
Western military aid is currently coordinated in this manner, but nothing of the sort exists for civilian assistance, according to Macron’s office.
“The goal now is to build this platform quickly with the participation of Ukraine, international financial institutions, and other partners,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said after the leaders of the club of wealthy nations met online Monday.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Zelensky’s wife Olena are both expected in Paris.
The second part of the event, dubbed “The Franco-Ukrainian Conference for Resilience and Reconstruction,” will bring together 500 French companies to discuss reconstruction contracts.
Even though the war is still ongoing, Western governments and corporations are already eyeing deals worth tens of billions of euros.
The Ukrainians requested that we discuss reconstruction. The Russian army has already evacuated areas that are ready to discuss reconstruction,” a French official said.
From insurance to export guarantees, the French economy ministry had already prepared a suite of tools to assist its companies.
Is this out of context?
Macron’s remarks about providing Russia with security guarantees sparked accusations that he was refocusing on diplomatic compromises with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Critics argue that it is too soon to negotiate with Putin and that Western leaders should focus solely on assisting Ukraine in reversing Russia’s occupation.
Macron has previously enraged his Ukrainian allies, most notably in June when he stated that “we must not humiliate Russia.”
The 44-year-old French president initially tried to position himself as a go-between for Ukraine and Russia, holding lengthy talks with Putin and Zelensky just before Moscow’s attack.
Macron’s office has downplayed any tensions with Zelensky.
“There is a gap between what some people say by taking a sentence out of context and the reality of the work that we are doing, which is going well,” the aide explained.
“The dialogue between President Macron and President Zelensky is excellent.”
