Just took office, the new French Foreign Minister immediately visited Ukraine

New French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne visited Kiev on January 13, on his first official foreign trip after taking office the day before.

Tân Ngoại trưởng Pháp bất ngờ thăm Ukraine

French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba walk in Saint Michael's Square in downtown Kiev, January 13, 2024. (Source: Roman Pilipey/AFP)

New French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne visited Kiev on January 13, on his first official foreign trip, to show his support for Kiev as the Russia-Ukraine conflict is about to enter its second year.

The visit comes at a crucial time for Ukraine as allies in Brussels and Washington struggle to secure funding amid unabated bombardment from Moscow.

On the social network X, the French Foreign Ministry announced: "Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne has arrived in Kiev on his first official visit, to continue France's diplomatic efforts and reaffirm France's commitment to its allies and civilians."

During the visit, the French Foreign Minister will meet with host country President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Foreign Minister Sejourne - 38 years old - is a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron and is also the Secretary General of the French leader's Renaissance Party. Mr. Sejourne was newly appointed Foreign Minister on January 12, pledging to continue strong support for Kiev, emphasizing that "the policy of supporting Ukraine means ensuring the victory of democracy".

In the latest developments on the ground, Russia used 40 missiles and drones to attack Ukraine last night. The Ukrainian Air Force claimed to have shot down 8 of them. In addition, “more than 20 devices” were unable to reach their targets due to “electronic countermeasures.”

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