Rustem Umerov will as an alternative meet along with his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu through video hyperlink, a number of shops have reported
Ukrainian Protection Minister Rustem Umerov has canceled a visit to satisfy along with his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu “for safety causes,” a number of media shops have reported. The 2 officers are as an alternative anticipated to carry talks through video hyperlink afterward Thursday as Paris prepares to launch an “artillery coalition” in help of Kiev.
Le Monde and France 24 reported on Thursday that the cancellation of Umerov’s journey had been introduced on the final minute. The 2 protection chiefs had reportedly deliberate to go to industrial websites in Bourges owned by weapons producer Nexter, the place self-propelled Caesar howitzers are assembled, in addition to a facility in Selles-Saint-Denis owned by missile producer MBDA.
The “artillery coalition,” led by France and the US, includes a complete of 23 nations. Lecornu beforehand defined that the brand new grouping is required to “coordinate efforts to assist Ukraine construct artillery forces appropriate for the wants of the counteroffensive and its future military.”
Chatting with Le Parisien every day on Thursday, the French minister revealed plans to supply 78 Caesar howitzers for Kiev this yr. Whereas Ukraine had “simply purchased six Caesars with its personal cash,” the official referred to as on “our European companions and allies to share” the price of the remaining items of army {hardware}.
On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated that his nation would proceed to face by Ukraine, with plans to ship an extra 40 SCALP air-launched long-range cruise missiles, in addition to “a whole bunch of bombs.”
He added that he was planning to go to Ukraine in February to signal a bilateral safety settlement, much like the one between London and Kiev that was finalized final week.
These newest bulletins by high French officers got here off the again of a failed Ukrainian counteroffensive, which achieved no vital territorial positive factors however incurred heavy casualties. With Russian forces regaining the initiative alongside the entrance line just lately, the Ukrainian authorities has been more and more pressuring its backers for extra weapons. As just lately as Monday, International Minister Dmitry Kuleba urged the West to do extra on this regard.
In the meantime, the Russian Protection Ministry claimed on Wednesday that its precision strike on a constructing within the Ukrainian metropolis of Kharkov the day before today had killed at the least 60 overseas fighters and injured one other 20, most of whom had been believed to be French.
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