On Saturday French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that Ukraine may use French-made long-range missiles to hit targets deep within Russia. The move follows statements from back in May by French President Emmanual Macron who said that he was considering green-lighting Ukraine to use French missiles to hit Russian targets.
“We will support Ukraine as intensely and for as long as necessary,” Barrot said Saturday, according to BFMTV and translated from French to English.
“After a week of significant escalation in the conflict, the head of French diplomacy said that Western allies should ‘not set and express red lines’ regarding support for Ukraine,” BFMTV said Saturday in French, translated to English.
On Friday Barrot met with Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of Ukrainian ruler Vladimir Zelensky, according to the French government. In the meeting Barrot signaled France’s unwavering support for Ukraine.
“The Minister reiterated on this occasion that France will continue to support Ukraine as long and as much as it takes,” the French government said Saturday.
“Jean-Noël Barrot said that Kiev could fire French long-range missiles at Russia ‘in a logic of self-defense’. However, he did not confirm whether this type of missile had already been used, unlike the American and British missiles. U.S. President Joe Biden has indeed lifted his veto on these shots, arguing in particular the mobilization, alongside Russian troops, of North Korean soldiers,” BFMTV said Saturday in French, translated to English.
“The principle has been set… Our messages to President Zelensky were well received,” Barrot said Saturday, according to BFMTV and translated from French to English.
The French statement Saturday comes after Moscow carried out an ICBM strike on a Ukrainian target in Dnipro, Ukraine on Thursday. The Russian strike on Thursday follows strikes by the U.S. (via Ukraine) on Tuesday and strikes by the U.K. (via Ukraine) on Wednesday.