Georgia – France reaffirms its commitment to Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity (Aug. 8, 2023)

As was stated by Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna, fifteen years after Russia’s aggression against Georgia, France reaffirms its commitment to the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. The unilateral recognition of the self-proclaimed authorities of the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the militarization of these regions, and the creation of obstacles to relations between them and the rest of Georgia constitute unacceptable violations of international law.

France calls on Russia to fully implement its August 12 and September 8, 2008, commitments and reaffirms its support for the Geneva International Discussions (GID) platform co-chaired by the EU, the OSCE, and the UN, which is the only way for the parties to work toward a shared solution. France fully supports the work of the European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia and the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM).

Ukraine – France condemns the latest Russian strikes in eastern Ukraine (Aug. 8, 2023)

France strongly condemns yesterday’s Russian missile strikes targeting the cities of Pokrovsk and Kupiansk in eastern Ukraine. In Prokrovsk, Russian missiles targeted a residential building, leaving at least seven civilians dead and injuring roughly 60 others. A new round of missile strikes also hit the city of Kupiansk and the surrounding area, leaving two inhabitants dead and several others injured.

These latest attacks on residential areas illustrate once again Russia’s total contempt for the protection of civilians and international humanitarian law, which it flagrantly and consistently violates.

As Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna has repeatedly emphasized, these acts are war crimes and cannot go unpunished. France is committed and will remain committed to bolstering its military support for Ukraine, in particular by working in close cooperation with its partners to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses. Lastly, France maintains its full support for the Ukrainian and international courts in an effort to combat impunity for the crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.