After the USA and Great Britain, France is also signaling Ukraine’s permission to use long-range weapons against targets on Russian territory. According to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Kiev may also fire the long-range missiles supplied by Paris at Russia “in the logic of self-defense.” However, the minister did not say whether this had actually already happened in an interview published in advance by the British broadcaster BBC. There was no mention of a formal or recently formulated permission; rather, Barrot reiterated France’s well-known position.
A French Foreign Ministry spokesman said President Emmanuel Macron had already said in May during his state visit to Germany that Ukraine must be able to neutralize Russian military targets directly involved in operations against its territory. International law is clear: Ukraine has the right to defend itself.
This week, Ukraine reportedly fired long-range US-made ATACMS missiles and British Storm Shadow cruise missiles at military targets in Russia. France, in collaboration with Great Britain, began supplying Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles in July 2023 – the French name for the identical missiles is Scalp. Only Germany is not helping Ukraine with long-range weapons – Chancellor Olaf Scholz categorically rejects the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles.
Russia speaks of a “death blow” for Ukraine
Moscow sharply criticized the French Foreign Minister’s comments. The authorization to use long-range missiles against Russia is “not support for Ukraine, but rather a death blow for Ukraine,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the state news agency Tass.
Zelensky: Putin wants Kursk back before January 20th
According to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin wants to retake the Ukrainian-occupied areas in the Kursk region by January 20 at the latest, the day US President-elect Donald Trump takes office. “The most important thing for Putin is to drive us out of the Kursk region,” Zelensky said at the International Conference on Food Security “Grains from Ukraine” in Kiev. “I’m sure he wants to evict us by January 20 next year because it is very important for him to show that he is in control of a situation that he is not in control of.”
In a surprise offensive in August, Ukrainian troops took control of parts of the western Russian Kursk region. At the height of their advance, Ukrainian soldiers controlled around 1,400 square kilometers of the Kursk region. Now this area has shrunk to 800 square kilometers. However, according to Ukrainian estimates, this cost Russia the lives of 25,000 soldiers. This information could not be independently verified.
Zelenskyy expects the war to end in 2025
Zelenskyy assumes that there are ways to end the war next year. “When will the war end? When Russia wants the war to end. When America takes a stronger position. When the global South is on the side of Ukraine and on the side of ending the war,” Zelensky said in an interview with foreign representatives Media in Kiev.
He is confident that all these measures will be implemented and decisions will be made sooner or later. “It won’t be an easy path, but I’m confident that we have every chance of making it next year,” Zelensky was quoted as saying by the Ukrinform agency.
How will Trump behave?
“We are open to suggestions from leaders of African, Asian and Arab states,” Zelensky continued. “I also want to hear the proposals of the new President of the United States of America and I think we will hear them in January and we will have a plan to end this war.”
US President-elect Donald Trump repeatedly indicated during his election campaign that he wanted to reduce massive US military support for Kiev. Recently nothing has been heard of his earlier declaration that he could end the war within 24 hours.
Russia has been waging a war of aggression against its neighbor Ukraine for over two and a half years. Recently there was no indication from Moscow that it would give in to a quick end to the war.
Zelensky adviser: Putin is “absolutely afraid”
Mykhailo Podolyak, a member of the Ukrainian president’s advisory staff, sees Kremlin leader Putin’s latest threats as an expression of “absolute fear.” He told “Bild am Sonntag” that the Russian president was trying to scare the West with his threats. “Putin only wants to end the war on his terms so as not to be held responsible for war crimes.” Podolyak called on the West to take a tougher stance against Russia. “You can’t negotiate with Putin. You have to confront him clearly and consistently.”
Podoljak criticized Chancellor Scholz’s recent phone call with Putin. He accused Scholz of having spoken to Putin without sufficient leverage. “Putin sees every call as a humiliation and confirmation of his supremacy.” After the conversation, Russia responded with missile attacks on Ukraine, which confirmed his assessment.