Ukraine – Q&A – Extract from the press briefing (3 January 2024)

Q: On December 30, 2023, Kyiv conducted massive strikes on the Russian city of Belgorod using cluster munitions. This attack left 25 people dead and over 100 injured. What is France’s position on Ukraine’s use of this type of weapon?

A: There is an aggressor state, Russia, that is employing a strategy of terror by deliberately attacking essential civilian infrastructure, in violation of international humanitarian law, and there is a state that is the object of this aggression, Ukraine, that is acting in legitimate defense, in accordance with article 51 of the UN Charter.

Russia could put an end to this conflict and to the attendant human tragedies, for which it is solely responsible. To do so, Russia would have to withdraw all its troops from the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine. This is an essential precondition for reinstating lasting peace and preserving an international order based on the rule of law.