War in Ukraine: Emmanuel Macron convenes a new Defense Council on Monday morning

Europe 1 with AFP 7:43 p.m., February 27, 2022, modified at 7:46 p.m., February 27, 2022

President Emmanuel Macron is convening a new defense council devoted to Ukraine on Monday at 11 a.m., the Élysée announced on Sunday evening.

“This defense council is a follow-up to the council on Saturday February 26, during which important decisions were taken”, specifies the Élysée.

France had decided on Saturday to strengthen its support for Ukraine, in particular in defense equipment, and to toughen its sanctions against Russia, aimed in particular at access to the Swift interbank platform, after the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army.

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New European sanctions

These decisions were accompanied by a set of new Western sanctions taken in particular at the level of the European Union, under the French presidency this semester, and the G7 forum, currently chaired by Germany.

On the military level, Paris decided on Saturday "the additional delivery of defense equipment to the Ukrainian authorities as well as fuel support", indicated the presidency, without giving details on the type of these armaments.

Ukraine recently submitted to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces a list of military equipment, in particular anti-aircraft defense, which it urgently needs.

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During the same defense council on Saturday, "measures to fight against propaganda from Russian influencers and media on European soil" were also recorded, according to the Elysee.

Russian state media

(RT) and

have since been banned from the European Union in a decision announced on Sunday by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The Élysée also communicated on Sunday on numerous diplomatic talks conducted by Emmanuel Macron.

Diplomatic exchanges this afternoon

The Head of State spoke in the morning with Ursula Von der Leyen, then with the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, with the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev and with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

In the afternoon, he continued these consultations with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, with the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.

the United Arab Emirates - which abstained on Friday during the vote on a resolution at the UN calling for the withdrawal of the Russian army from Ukraine, despite pressure from France which hoped for their favorable vote - take the rotating presidency of the Security Council Tuesday for the month of March.