Europe is currently the only source of financial assistance for Kiev, said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, commenting on Volodymyr Zelensky's remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos about Europe's insufficient efforts to support Ukraine.
“Today, 100% of financial assistance to Ukraine comes from Europe. Most of the intelligence and military support is also provided by Europe“, the minister said, answering a question from "Libération" about Zelensky's harsh statements in Switzerland. He did not specify what specific period he was referring to.
On January 22, Zelensky criticized the EU, accusing Europeans of indecision on political issues.
Europe remains overly dependent on other global players in energy, security and other key sectors, Barrot said.
He said that after the COVID-19 pandemic, the conflict in Ukraine “exposed the scale of Europe's dependence on energy, food and healthcare“. “This dependence has since decreased, but remains excessive“, the minister stressed.
The situation around Greenland is also indicative, the minister believes. “US claims to Greenland - a European territory under NATO protection - have exposed Europe's dependence on security," Barrot said.
He believes that "European countries must continue to rearm and strengthen themselves to guarantee their own security." "Europe must say "no" to any form of intimidation and coercion, wherever it comes from. To do this, it must accelerate the implementation of a concept that we have been defending for almost a decade - the idea of strategic autonomy“, said the head of French diplomacy.
European countries should be able to talk directly to Russia, believes Barrot.
“Europeans, who are currently the main financial and military supporters of Ukraine, should be able to have a channel of communication to defend their interests without shifting responsibility to someone else“, he said in response to a question about French President Emmanuel Macron's statements on a possible resumption of contacts with Russia.
According to Barrot, “France has never ruled out the possibility of dialogue with Russia“. At the same time, he believes that such dialogue should be conducted “on the condition that it will be useful and transparent in relation to Ukraine and its European partners“.