“We will support Ukraine as intensely and as long as necessary.” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot reaffirmed Paris' support for kyiv in an interview with the BBC published this Saturday evening. A week after the authorization of the United States given to Ukraine which now allows it to strike Russian territory with American missiles, then that of the United Kingdom, the head of French diplomacy wanted to strengthen France's position in this war, declaring that Western allies should “not set red lines.”
In this interview, Jean-Noël Barrot explains that France in turn authorizes Ukraine to use its long-range missiles against Russia, in a logic of “Self-defense”, particularly after the Russian attack in Ukraine with the Kremlin calls it an “experimental medium-range missile”.
Nuclear threat
“France puts itself in a position similar to the Allies who effectively authorized the use of long-range weapons. This was one of the limits that had been set until now and which has just been lifted,” judges for his shares David Rigoulet-Roze, associate researcher at IRIS, specialist in international issues.
Faced with this development in Ukrainian armament, Moscow toughened its tone, threatening the West with a nuclear conflict. But nothing to be alarmed at the moment, continues the researcher at the microphone of Europe 1. “It is Russian rhetoric which wants to create fear about the potential use of this type of weapon. But from the moment others do it, it is ultimately in line with the general line,” he underlines.
The arrival of Trump is decisive for the future
But with the lifting of these red lines, it is difficult to know what form this war could take in the coming weeks, the coming months, with in particular many questions about the positioning of the new Trump administration. “That’s what will be decisive. The issue in any case will be determined from January 2025,” insists David Rigoulet-Roze.
If there is a lot of uncertainty for the coming weeks and months of the war in Ukraine, one thing is certain: France, through Jean-Noël Barrot, is seeking to gain strength in this war. In his interview with the BBC, the head of French diplomacy also reaffirms the possibility of sending ground troops to Ukraine.
