Major topics of the Ministry France’s diplomatic action in Ukraine Ukraine Defence and security International law Date de mise en ligne le : March 13th 2026 Date of update: July 29th 2026 On 24 February 2022, 8 years after the illegal annexation of Crimea and the beginning of the conflict in eastern Ukraine in 2014, the Russian Federation made the deliberate, unjustifiable choice to start a war against Ukraine. From the very first day of the conflict, France and its European Union partners chose to stand firmly alongside Ukraine and its people. France and all its partners made the determined choice to help Ukraine By waging a war against a sovereign country, Russia deliberately violated the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. Supporting the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine does not simply mean helping a free people. It also means defending international law and the security of the European continent. That is why, from the very first day of the war, France and its partners have unwaveringly supported Ukraine and its people. Determined political and diplomatic action to support Ukraine On 23 and 24 June 2022, the Heads of State and Government meeting in the European Council decided to grant candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova for EU membership, and recognized the European perspective of Georgia.That was a historic step, made possible in part by the visit to Kyiv by the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, the German Federal Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, the Italian President of the Council of Ministers, Mario Draghi, and the Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis. France and its European partners will continue working to accompany Ukraine on its European path. On 30 September 2022, France condemned President Putin’s announcement of the illegal annexation of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk and parts of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions by the Russian Federation in the strongest terms. News about the war in Ukraine is regularly reported : in the news section of this website on the Telegram channel France Diplomacy (in Russian) Understanding the situation in Ukraine since 2014 The war of aggression launched by Russia against Ukraine on 24 February 2022 follows on from Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its... Humanitarian aid for Ukraine Since 2014 and with the start of the conflict following the Revolution of Dignity (in Independence Square, or “Maidan”), France has mobilized to... Supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction France’s strategy is being implemented at different multilateral, European, bilateral and local levels. France contributes to financing Ukraine’s... Fighting impunity Mass atrocities have been perpetrated by the Russian armed forces in Ukrainian territory. These crimes cannot go unpunished and all perpetrators must be held accountable, as there can be no lasting peace without justice. That is why France, true to its long-standing commitment to fighting impunity,... Sanctions against Russia and Belarus In the face of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the European Union and its international partners have adopted several sanctions packages against Russia and Belarus. These measures, stepping up the sanctions adopted against Russia in 2014 when it illegally annexed Crimea, are already...