France is one of the key countries forming European and global security. Considering the russian-Ukrainian war since 2014, the position of France is decisive in terms of its influential role in the EU and NATO.

At the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion, French foreign policy generally focused on diplomatic efforts for possible negotiations between russia and Ukraine. If in early March 2022, the French government was limited to supplying the Armed Forces of Ukraine with “defence equipment and fuel,” but in January 2023, French President E. Macron, became the first head of state to announce the provision of Western tanks to the Ukrainian army.

At the same time, French prosecutors were among the first who arrived in the spring of 2022 to help with investigating the russian war crimes in Ukraine. Having seen firsthand the horrors of the consequences of russia’s occupation of Kyiv’s suburbs, Macron decided to increase military assistance to Ukraine.

Currently, French military aid continues to flow into Ukraine in a steady stream. The arrival of French AMX-10RC wheeled tanks from Nexter has already been announced, and France is ready to increase their number to several battalions. Mistral man-portable air defence systems have also been transferred to Ukraine. The Ukrainian army’s offensive was facilitated by the presence of a large number of French VAB armoured personnel carriers from the Renault Group. These combat vehicles played a crucial role in the brilliant offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region in 2022. And they continue to be a nightmare for the russian occupiers. In addition to the Crotale, the French LRU MLRS also entered service with the AFU as international technical aid at the end of the last year.

Ukraine is already using French weapons to conduct active military operations in the Black Sea. The Black Sea Fleet of russia has already been seriously damaged by French Exocet anti-ship missiles.

Ukraine will also receive a variety of other military equipment, including small arms, ammunition, grenades, sapper equipment, telecommunications equipment and much more.

Up to 2,000 Ukrainian personnel have been sent to military units in France for several weeks of combat training, including more specialised training in logistics and other needs, as well as training in the use of French-supplied equipment.

Throughout the war, France’s support for Ukraine has not weakened, and it is now even stronger. The following areas of assistance are also known: 10 packages of European sanctions against russia; support for Ukraine’s EU membership bid; €3.6 billion in military support from the European Peace Fund, in which France is the second largest donor.

Speaking about economic assistance to Ukraine during the year-and-a-half of war, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that it included direct budgetary loans in the amount of €400 million, support for projects valued at €1.2 billion, a declaration of patronage over the reconstruction of Chernihiv region, mobilisation of more than 700 companies to engage in reconstruction, and participation in the interagency donor coordination platform. France also sent over 2.9 thousand tonnes of humanitarian aid and over 200 generators to Ukraine.

France has set up a €100 million fund that Ukrainians can use to buy necessary equipment, if its supplier is France.

The French government has also allocated €4 million to UNFPA, the UN agency for sexual and reproductive health, to help survivors of sexual violence and strengthen sexual and reproductive health services in Ukraine. The funds will be used to support UNFPA’s appeal for Ukraine and refugees.

In addition, two large-scale conferences in support of Ukraine took place in Paris in December 2022. The first one was called “In Solidarity with the Ukrainian People” and was attended by about 70 leaders from 46 EU countries and 24 international organisations, including the UN, a conference at the Elysee Palacethat was called “civilian Ramstein”. As a result, it was announced that “more than €1 billion worth of commitments had been made to provide concrete and urgent support to Ukraine (primarily to help the country survive the winter in the face of Russian bombardment of civilian infrastructure) and that a “Paris Mechanism for Aid Coordination” had been established. The second event, the Franco-Ukrainian Conference on Sustainability and Development, was attended by more than 700 French companies. Its main goal was to secure the participation of French companies in the reconstruction and post-war development of Ukraine.

With the assistance of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council, the Association “Medical and Charitable Aid France-Ukraine” donated 330 kW generators and two inverters to medical institutions in Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih, and provided five powerful generators for social institutions in Dnipropetrovsk region. Directors of educational institutions in each district of the region, including a lyceum in the Myrivska territorial community and a gymnasium in Devladivska territorial community, received 14 school buses from French partners from the Normandy region of France.

The development of mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation also remains an important priority for both countries. The analysis of export and import operations of Dnipropetrovsk region with France demonstrates a high level of partnership, as this country is an important commercial partner of the region.

According to the results of 2022, the volume of goods exports from Dnipropetrovsk region totalled $71.8 million. Goods that are in demand among French consumers include agricultural products, parts for railway locomotives, ferrous metals and products thereof, etc.

Export operations were carried out by 65 companies from Dnipropetrovsk region. Main exporting companies are agricultural, metallurgical, machine-building and processing enterprises.

TOP-5 exporters (ranked by volume of exported products):

Imports of goods from France to Dnipropetrovsk region totalled $84 million and decreased by 31% compared to 2021. The region traditionally bought soap and detergents, pharmaceuticals, machinery and equipment, means of land transport, and other goods.

Import operations were carried out by 216 importers.

TOP-5 importers (ranked by volume of imported products):

Import operations were mainly carried out by pharmaceutical, trade, machine-building, processing and food companies.

Source: information for the article was taken from open online sources