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EU countries start providing financial support for Ukraine's reconstruction — Macron

The French president also noted that work continued in the justice sphere

French President Emmanuel Macron (center) EPA-EFE/LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL

French President Emmanuel Macron (center)

© EPA-EFE/LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL

PARIS, June 16. /TASS/. European countries have begun to provide financial assistance for Ukraine's reconstruction, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday during a visit to the city of Irpen in the Kiev region.

"We, the Europeans, have begun providing financial assistance for the reconstruction of cities that have been affected by military action," Macron said. "We are already implementing such cooperation," he stressed.

Macron also noted that work continued in the justice sphere. "Our experts, gendarmes, lawyers are with the Ukrainian authorities so that war crimes are investigated," he said, emphasizing that "legal assessments must be made by lawyers." "We will continue to support [Ukraine] in all forms, including political support. That is why the four of us (German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis - TASS) came here," the French president said.

"France has been consistent in its position from the first day in expressing its support for Ukraine," Macron said when asked by reporters about his mediation efforts to resolve the Ukrainian conflict. He noted that "Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has also always wanted to talk to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin."

Macron arrived in Ukraine on Thursday morning along with the heads of Germany, Italy and Romania. They are due to meet with the Ukrainian president shortly.

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