France To Boost Military Support To Ukraine By Preparing New Deliveries - Foreign Minister

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th July, 2023) France will increase its military support to Ukraine by preparing new assistance deliveries together with its allies to meet the needs expressed by the Ukrainian authorities and hopes that the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius will bring more specifics on Kiev's prospects related to its possible NATO accession, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said on Sunday.

"We are providing the support that is aimed at meeting the needs expressed by the Ukrainian authorities in cooperation with our allies and partners ... This assistance will continue and intensify. New military assistance deliveries are being prepared to continuously address the most urgent needs expressed by Ukraine," Colonna told French broadcaster RFI.

The foreign minister also said that France and its allies were working on security guarantees that could be provided to Kiev simultaneously with Ukraine's possible accession to NATO.

"We want the Vilnius summit to be an opportunity for consolidation of the alliance's support for Ukraine on a long-term basis and bring more specifics on its NATO membership prospects," Colonna was quoted as saying by the broadcaster.

The Lithuanian capital city of Vilnius will host the NATO summit from July 11-12. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will chair the meeting. Discussions on Ukraine's NATO prospects, strengthening the alliance's eastern flank and defense spending are expected to top the summit's agenda. On June 19, Stoltenberg said that the summit would not discuss a formal invitation, but rather ways to "move Ukraine closer to NATO."

Western countries have been providing financial, humanitarian and military support to Ukraine since the start of Russia's military operation in February 2022. The support evolved from lighter artillery munitions and training in 2022 to heavier weapons, including tanks, later that year and in 2023. The Kremlin has consistently warned against further arms deliveries to Kiev, saying they would be regarded as a legitimate military target.