Paris is “open” to the idea of inviting Ukraine to join NATO, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said
France will work to garner support from Western nations for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “victory plan,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced during his visit to Kyiv on Saturday.
“A Russian victory would solidify the rule of might and plunge the international order into chaos,” Barrot told reporters at a press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrey Sibiga.
“Therefore, our discussions must facilitate progress on President Zelensky’s victory plan, and rally as many nations as possible behind it.”
The diplomat emphasized that Paris would “continue to support, unwavering, Ukraine’s resistance against Russian aggression.”
Barrot stated that France was “open” to the prospect of inviting Ukraine into NATO. “This is a matter we are currently discussing with our NATO partners,” he said.
Zelensky unveiled his five-point plan in an address to Ukrainian lawmakers this week, which includes demands previously rejected by Kyiv’s Western backers, such as an immediate invitation for Ukraine to join NATO and the removal of restrictions on the use of foreign long-range weapons to strike deep within Russia.
NATO has maintained that Ukraine’s admission into the alliance is impossible until the conflict is resolved, while US President Joe Biden indicated on Friday that there was “no consensus” on whether to authorize the use of ATACMS missiles and other weapons for strikes on Russian territory.
During his trip to Kyiv, Barrot also announced that France would deliver the first batch of Mirage 2000 fighter jets in early 2025. The French Air Force is currently training Ukrainian pilots and aircraft technicians. Kyiv has long maintained that Western aircraft, such as the Mirage 2000s and the US-made F-16s, would be crucial to turn the tide on the battlefield as Russian forces have been steadily gaining ground in the Donbas in recent months.
Moscow has repeatedly asserted that no amount of foreign military aid would deter Russian troops in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova characterized Zelensky’s plan as “a collection of incoherent slogans.”