Berlin: French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin on Friday reaffirmed Paris' long-term support for Ukraine and urged stronger European action against Russia's sanctions-evading 'shadow fleet.' 'We will continue to support Ukraine for as long as necessary,' she said at a joint news conference in Berlin. Vautrin emphasized that Kyiv remains 'on the front line of the war Russia launched from day one,' underscoring that Ukraine's defense is central to Europe's overall security. She confirmed that French President Emmanuel Macron will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris on Monday.

According to Anadolu Agency, Vautrin also highlighted ongoing efforts to disrupt Russia's so-called shadow fleet, consisting of 'several hundred ships' used to export oil in violation of EU restrictions. 'President Macron has been clear: we must increase the pressure to dismantle this economic model, which is one of the main financial pillars of Russia's war effort,' she stated.

Vautrin noted that France and the UK are jointly leading a coalition of willing states preparing long-term security guarantees for Ukraine once conditions for a ceasefire are in place. 'The first of these guarantees is, of course, the Ukrainian forces themselves,' she said. 'They must be able to regenerate in order to deter Russia from launching another large-scale attack.'

She further remarked that Moscow is not only attacking Ukraine but also testing 'the resilience and unity of our alliance,' arguing that Europe's response 'cannot be limited to words.' Vautrin called for strengthening the European pillar of NATO, improving EU-NATO coordination, and investing more in Europe's defense industry.

Regarding recent drone activity in EU airspace, Vautrin mentioned that ministers reviewed the issue from 'operational, technical, and political angles,' stressing the need to distinguish between defending against drones and establishing responsibility for each incident. 'We must be absolutely certain about attribution before naming any country,' she said, adding that protecting strategic sites remains a shared priority for all participating states.