French President Emmanuel Macron, while hosting Volodymyr Zelensky at the Elysée, asserted on Friday that Russia is “wrong” if it hopes that the war in the Middle East will give it a “break”, downplaying the impact of the temporary lifting of American sanctions on Russian oil.
“Nothing will distract us from Ukraine,” said the French president. “Today, Russia may believe that the war in Iran will give it a break. It is mistaken.”
“The context of rising oil prices should not lead us to reconsider our sanctions policy towards Russia in any way, as the G7 position has held,” he stated.
However, the United States, a G7 member, authorized the sale of Russian oil stored on ships until April 11, amidst a surge in crude oil prices.
Russia, a major player in hydrocarbons, needs income to fund its large-scale military efforts in Ukraine, where it launched a full-scale invasion in 2022.
Emmanuel Macron nevertheless believed that the American decision was made “exceptionally and limitedly” and does not imply a broad and long-lasting relaxation of the sanctions they themselves decided on within the G7 framework.
In contrast, Volodymyr Zelensky believed it would bolster Russia’s position and “certainly does not contribute to peace.”
According to the Ukrainian president, this “softening” of sanctions could bring Russia “about $10 billion” that it will spend on drones and other armaments.
These drones are used in Ukraine but will also be used against “Iran’s neighbors,” Moscow’s allies, and Western forces in the region, according to Volodymyr Zelensky. “Lifting sanctions just to have more drones attack you later is, in my opinion, not the right decision.”
Russia claimed that Tehran did not ask for military assistance. However, American media mentioned Russian intelligence sharing to help Iran target certain sites.
The visit of the Ukrainian president to Paris, the twelfth since 2022, comes as the conflict triggered on February 28 by the United States and Israel against Iran dominates global attention.
A French soldier was killed and six were injured in a drone attack of Iranian design in Iraqi Kurdistan on Thursday night, as announced by French authorities. It was a Shahed drone, according to a French colonel, the same type of drones used almost daily by Russia in Ukraine.
Ukraine plans to capitalize on its expertise to combat Iranian drones, considered “second to none” by the Elysee.
Ukrainian military specialists have recently visited several Gulf countries to share their experience in intercepting Iranian-designed drones, and Volodymyr Zelensky proposed “developing all this in collaboration with European countries.”
Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky held talks before their joint press conference and then had a working lunch tête-à-tête. The Ukrainian president is scheduled to participate in an exchange with students at Sciences Po in the afternoon.
The two leaders also discussed the €90 billion aid promised by European Union leaders to Kiev in December.
The initial disbursements are blocked by Hungary, which demands that Ukraine quickly reopen the transportation of Russian oil to Hungarian soil via the Druzhba pipeline, damaged according to Ukrainian authorities by a Moscow strike.
Mr. Macron strongly assured that the aid would be delivered because “it is the duty of every nation to fulfill the promises that are made.”
The issue will be back on the table for the Twenty-Seven at a EU summit next week in Brussels.
Another topic on the agenda is Ukraine’s need for armaments.
President Zelensky, who requires effective anti-aircraft defense systems to counter Russian attacks, expressed his desire in Ouest-France newspaper to obtain the Franco-Italian SAMP-T next-generation systems as soon as possible.
In Ukraine, a Russian missile strike in the Kharkiv region resulted in at least three deaths and four injuries on Friday, according to local authorities.
