War in Ukraine: France’s diplomatic action 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. Ukraine Published on : November 10th 2025 Updated on : March 17th 2026 Dans cette rubrique The ministry in action Action for peace and respect for human rights Action within the UN Security, Disarmament and Non-proliferation Emergency Humanitarian Action Protecting Human Rights Gender equality: a priority for France Commitment to international justice Digital Diplomacy Promoting a sovereign Europe The European Political Community Defence Europe France and the European Union European matters Promoting French businesses and France’s attractiveness Attracting foreign investment Attracting international students Destination France: The recovery and transformation plan for tourism Promoting French expertise in sport Supporting French exporters Supporting researchers and scientific cooperation globally The French Government’s Trade Policy Ensuring the presence of French culture Cultural Diplomacy Defending Francophonie and the French language Franco-German cooperation Supporting the cultural and creative industries Contributing to sustainable, balanced globalization Addressing the climate and environmental emergency Combating global social inequality External action of local government bodies Summits and global issues Regional strategies 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. 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... Humanitarian aid for Ukraine From the first day of Russia’s war of aggression, 24 February 2022, France has been supporting Ukraine and the neighbouring countries hardest hit by... Supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction Supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction process is about more than material aid. It is also about fostering the country’s economic and social... 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,... Understanding the situation in Ukraine from 2014 to 24 February 2022 Conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation broke out following a political crisis in late November 2013. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to suspend the process which would have led to the signing of an Association Agreement with the European Union caused a popular... Video: Diplomats in Action on the ground in Ukraine This documentary, produced by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, is an opportunity to see the concrete contributions of France’s diplomats to supporting local people. You will also see how collaborations are organized with various political and economic institutions. As observers,... “Stand with Ukraine” photo exhibition: France’s humanitarian action in Ukraine (24 February to 11 April 2025) At the three-year mark of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the “Stand with Ukraine” exhibition features major humanitarian projects conducted in Ukraine. These actions are implemented by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) financed by the Crisis and Support Centre (CDCS) of the... News about the war in Ukraine is regularly reported on : the Telegram channel France Diplomacy (in Russian)