PARIS, April 29. /TASS/. About 200 French citizens still remain in Ukraine, French Ambassador to Kiev Etienne de Poncins told BFM TV on Friday.

"Right now about 200 French nationals remain in Ukraine," the envoy affirmed. According to him, these people are unwilling to leave the country despite recommendations from the French authorities.

De Poncins noted that 1,400 French citizens had left Ukraine in the previous two months. "We still urge [French nationals] to refrain from traveling to Ukraine," the ambassador stressed. He also emphasized that Kiev expected French President Emmanuel Macron to visit Ukraine but did not specify when such a trip could take place. "You know that the head of state contacts Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky almost every day, they had established contact before the crisis broke out," de Poncins noted.

The French Embassy in Ukraine, which moved to the city of Lvov after the start of Russia’s special military operation, reopened in Kiev on April 15 based on President Emmanuel Macron’s decision. "Together with the French Foreign Ministry’s teams, we are keeping a close eye on the security situation. If there are any changes, we are ready to make other decisions," de Poncins said, adding that the French embassy’s staff currently consisted of several dozen employees.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation based on a request from the heads of the Donbass republics. The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans to occupy Ukrainian territories and the goal was to demilitarize and denazify the country. In response, the West imposed major sanctions on Russia.