French Ambassador Veyssière: “France Is Actively Working on Strengthening Ukraine’s Air Defense”

In our recent conversation, France’s Ambassador in Kyiv described Paris taking decisive steps as G7 presidency in 2026 to shield Ukraine from Russia’s winter energy attacks, personally highlighting the swift dispatch of generators and France’s lead role in rallying G7+ support. He emphasized that military backing remains rock-solid — designed to give Ukraine real leverage in any future talks. The ambassador made it clear: France is not just delivering aid today; it is investing in a future where Ukraine can dictate its own security and reconstruction on its own terms.

Text: Valerie Proshchenko

France assumed the G7 presidency on 1 January, and for us it was particularly important — as chair — to respond swiftly and concretely to the urgent appeal from the Ukrainian authorities following Russia’s most recent large-scale attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

That is precisely why, last Friday, Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, co-chaired — together with EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen — an emergency session of the G7+ Energy Coordination Group. It was essential for the Minister to be present and to help deliver tangible support at this critical moment, and I believe we managed to do so effectively.

France, for its part, is providing over 100 generators with a total capacity of 13 MW; with the first batch due to arrive already in the first week of February. At the same time, contributions are coming in from many other partners as well.

As Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko has noted, the partners announced and confirmed the provision of new support packages, which include more than 6,000 units of large energy equipment and contributions to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund.

Even