French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barot expressed support for the Ukrainian plan to ending the war in the country, saying today to reporters in Kiev that he will work with Ukrainian officials to ensure the support of other countries for the proposal, the Associated Press reported, BTA reported.
Unveiled earlier this week by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the so-called Kiev's victory plan aims to get Russia to negotiate an end to its invasion of Ukraine. The proposal is currently being considered by Ukraine's Western partners, whose help is key to Kiev resisting its larger neighbor. A key point in it is an official invitation to Ukraine to join NATO, which, however, its Western partners refrain from extending until the war is over.
"Russia's victory means a world order based on the right of the strong, which will lead to chaos in international relations," Baro said during a press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sibyga. "This is why the goal of our talks should be to make progress on the plan to defeat President Zelensky and unite as many countries as possible around him," he added.
Barro announced that France will deliver the first of its promised "Mirage 2000" of Ukraine in the early months of 2025, and added that there are already Ukrainian pilots and mechanics trained to operate and maintain them. Since the beginning of the invasion in 2022, France has been one of the countries in Europe that has supported Ukraine the most militarily, diplomatically, and economically. The country is currently training and equipping a future entirely new brigade of Ukrainian soldiers, which will be deployed on the front line.
"By resisting the invader with extraordinary courage, you are not only fighting for the territorial integrity of Ukraine, but also holding the front line that separates Europe from Vladimir Putin's Russia, that separates freedom from oppression," said the French minister in Kiev. Barro's visit coincided with last night's prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine, which involved a total of 190 prisoners of war (95 vs. 95 - note ed.) from both sides; their return took place as part of a deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates.
Among the 95 Ukrainians who were returned to Kiev were 34 soldiers from the Azov unit, which defended Mariupol and the Azovstal metallurgical plant. in the already occupied city, and whose resistance became a symbol of resistance against the invasion of Moscow.
"Ninety-five of our men are back home. These are the warriors who defended Mariupol, "Azovstal", as well as Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv and Kherson regions," Zelensky wrote in "Ex". The head of the "Azov" regiment Denis Prokopenko wrote on "Facebook" that 34 fighters from "Azov" have been returned, but another 900 remain in Russian captivity.
The well-known Ukrainian human rights activist and member of the unit Maxim Butkevich is also among the exchanged servicemen. His release was announced by the Human Rights Center ZMINA, an organization he co-financed. The prisoner swap follows the repatriation of the bodies of 510 dead soldiers to Ukraine yesterday, the largest return of servicemen since the invasion began in February 2022.
Most of the soldiers were killed in fighting in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, mostly around the town of Avdeyevka, which fell to Russian forces in February after long and grueling fighting, Ukraine's Coordination Staff for Work with the prisoners of war. Russia also received 89 bodies of its fallen soldiers, Russian lawmaker Shamsail Saraliev told reporters. The Russian Ministry of Defense said it shot down 16 Ukrainian drones over Russia's Bryansk, Rostov and Belgorod regions early this morning. Local media published photos they claimed were from a fire at a factory in the Bryansk region specializing in microelectronics work. Russian authorities have not confirmed the strike.