Ukraine War: Ruslan Stefantchouk before National Assembly
The President of the Rada, the parliament of Ukraine, Rouslan Stefantchouk is due to address the French National Assembly this Tuesday, January 31.
Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Rouslan Stefantchouk is expected at the French National Assembly early this Tuesday afternoon to address MPs amid negotiations over the delivery of tanks to Kyiv. Another speech is expected tomorrow, Wednesday, April 1is February, before the senators.
This visit comes four months after Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the French National Assembly, visited Kyiv, where she signed an agreement with Rouslan Stefantchouk aimed at developing and intensifying “long-term” exchanges between French and Ukrainian parliamentarians “Official visits alternately in France and Ukraine”.
France has still not made a decision on sending Leclerc tanks to Ukraine, while several countries have announced sending their heavy tanks, such as the United States and its Abrams models or Germany with its Leopard tanks. However, Paris had announced the delivery of AMX10-RC light tanks on January 4th.
If France is reluctant to send heavy weapons to Ukraine, it is in part for fear of being seen as a comrade-in-arms in Russia’s eyes. Indeed, the Kremlin has denounced Westerners’ “direct involvement” in the conflict, following the announcement of the supply of tanks by Germany and the United States.
“We answer very clearly that we are not at war with Russia and none of our partners are,” Quai d’Orsay spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre said last Thursday. Several western governments have stated that these tanks had a defensive purpose, to appease Moscow’s wrath.
