New French Foreign Minister Arrives in Ukraine for The First Time on Support Visit

Jean-Noel Barrot, the new French Foreign Minister, has arrived in Kyiv for the first time. He announced this on the X network.

Unlike most visits by foreign guests, Barrot announced his arrival in advance on Friday and repeated the announcement early on Saturday. 

‘Today I am going to Ukraine. There will be support, again and again, for the Ukrainian resistance to Russian aggression. Support for civilians who are suffering. Respect for international law is a condition for our collective security,’ Barro wrote.

On the morning of 19 October, it became known that the minister had already met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and they held a joint press conference.

At the press conference, Barro said that he was planning a trip to one of the northeastern regions bordering Russia, but did not specify which one.

‘The next day, I will travel to the northeast of Ukraine to meet with the Ukrainian military, who are confronting the Russians and making every effort to make the operation in the Kursk region a success,’ the minister said.

Sibiha, for his part, thanked Barrot for his decision to make one of his first foreign visits to Ukraine and expressed gratitude for all the assistance and support provided by France in a number of areas.

Among other things, he told Barrot about the challenges facing Ukraine's energy sector on the eve of winter, and the ministers agreed to cooperate on this issue.

Before that, the officials met for the first time in Paris during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's European tour with a ‘victory plan’.