France and Britain will step up pressure on Russia over its military actions
On July 30, France and the United Kingdom reaffirmed their continued support for Ukraine and announced their intention to increase pressure on Russia. Among the key measures is countering Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which Moscow uses to circumvent sanctions and finance its war machine.
This was stated in a press release from the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs following a meeting between its head, Jean-Noël Barrot, and his British counterpart, Ed Miliband, in Paris.
“Building on the work of the Coalition of the Willing summit on July 13, both ministers reaffirmed their strong support for Ukraine and their desire to increase pressure on Russia’s military efforts, in particular by combating the shadow fleet,” the French Foreign Ministry noted.
In June, the British military carried out its first operation to seize a sanctioned tanker belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet in the English Channel. The operation was coordinated with the French side. London stated that such actions are directly aimed at reducing the resources that fuel Russian aggression against Ukraine.
The meeting in Paris marked Miliband’s first trip to France since his appointment as the UK’s foreign minister a week ago. The French Foreign Ministry emphasized that the visit underscored the importance of coordination between Paris and London on major international issues.
The ministers also discussed the situation in the Middle East. They highlighted the role of Franco-British cooperation in conducting a multinational mission to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and called for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, according to a Ukrinform correspondent.
Earlier, Zelenskyy offered France assistance in fighting wildfires.
Earlier, Turkey sent four specialized firefighting aircraft to Spain and France to help combat wildfires. This was announced by the country’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Ibrahim Yumakli.
More than 300,000 people have been evacuated in France and Spain due to massive wildfires that have engulfed regions of Southern Europe. In southwestern France, in the Gironde region, more than 220,000 residents have left their homes. The fire there has spread across approximately 32,700 hectares of land.
As a reminder, French passengers who purchased train tickets to the region around Bordeaux will be able to exchange or refund them free of charge. This decision was made due to the large-scale wildfires that have complicated the situation in the area.
