WASHINGTON, December 1. /TASS/. Washington and Paris reaffirm their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and will continue to provide assistance to Kiev "as long as it takes," according to a joint statement adopted at a meeting between Presidents Joe Biden of the United States and Emmanuel Macron of France on Thursday.
Biden and Macron reaffirmed "their nations’ continued support for Ukraine’s defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, including the provision of political, security, humanitarian, and economic assistance to Ukraine for as long as it takes." "This includes the provision of significant resources to support Ukrainian civilian resilience through the winter, including stepping up the delivery of air defense systems and equipment needed to repair Ukraine’s energy grid," the document said.
The US and France "also intend to continue providing robust direct budget support for Ukraine, and to urge the international financial institutions to scale up their financial support."
According to the joint statement, the US and France "plan to continue working with partners and allies to coordinate assistance efforts, including at the international conference taking place in Paris on December 13, 2022." They also remain committed to addressing the wider effects of Russia’s special military operation, "including working with the international community to build greater resilience to food and energy disruptions."
In addition, the United States and France reiterated "their steadfast resolve to hold Russia to account" for the activities of its armed forces and "its proxies, including mercenary entities such as Vagner and others, through support for international accountability mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court, the Ukrainian prosecutor general, UN Human Rights Council Commission of Inquiry, and the OSCE Moscow Mechanism, sanctions, and other means."
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation based on a request from the heads of the Donbass republics. In response, the West imposed major sanctions on Russia. In addition, Western countries started to provide weapons and military equipment to Kiev, whose total value is currently estimated at billions of dollars.