The Russian Federation invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, 8 years after the illegal annexation of Crimea and the beginning of the conflict in eastern Ukraine in 2014. France stands with the Ukrainians and commits to adopting sanctions against Russia with the other EU Member States to increase the cost of the war and influence Russian President Putin’s choices.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to a serious humanitarian crisis. Millions of Ukrainians have had to leave their homes to flee fighting and bombing since the beginning of the Russian offensive. Some have managed to find refuge elsewhere in Ukraine, while others have fled the country.
The Crisis and Support Centre (CDCS) of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs is working to support victims and refugees in this humanitarian emergency, in both Ukraine and neighbouring countries.
To address the most urgent needs, France has released €100 million in order to finance and deliver essential humanitarian equipment, healthcare equipment, agricultural support and civil protection vehicles.
The CDCS has coordinated almost 35 solidarity missions, the first through an air bridge via Poland, delivering almost 1,400 tons of aid to Ukraine and neighbouring countries and demonstrating France’s exceptional commitment to supporting the Ukrainian people. In order to rally all goodwill efforts and quickly and effectively raise financial contributions to France’s humanitarian operations, two funds have been set up:
• A fund for local authorities: FACECO
• A support fund for businesses
• Almost 1,450 local government bodies and more than 60 businesses have contributed over €8 million to humanitarian assistance.
• Find out more about the reception of displaced Ukrainians(for elected officials and local government)
When it comes to health, sexual and reproductive rights, psychosocial support, information, education, housing, France is acting to help Ukrainian women in several areas.
The CDCS is financing many programmes put in place by NGOs to help Ukrainian women. The aim is to meet the needs of women who have fled with or without children over Ukraine’s borders, to neighbouring countries or to France.
Some 58% of the humanitarian projects financed are aimed wholly or partly at helping Ukrainian women.
France is also financially supporting UN humanitarian agencies, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies that are active in Ukraine and neighbouring countries to protect women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence.
For example, 4,051 women and children had benefited from prevention services and programmes to fight gender-based violence offered by UNICEF in Ukraine as of 12 May 2022.
Some 90% of Ukrainian refugees in France and the wider EU are women and children. France is therefore operating specific initiatives for access to fundamental rights like health services, as well as transport, accommodation and learning the French language.
The 27 EU Member States have adopted several packages of restrictive sanctions against Russia since February 2022. The aim of these measures is to isolate Russia from the international financial system and put pressure on those who politically and economically support the Russian regime.
Mass atrocities have been discovered in Ukrainian territory in areas previously occupied by Russian forces, in the city of Bucha in particular.
France is determined to work with Ukrainians, international partners and international courts to ensure these acts, which may constitute war crimes, do not go unpunished. The French Ministry of the Interior has sent a technical team to support Ukrainian authorities with their expertise in identification and evidence gathering. In agreement with the Ukrainian authorities, the team will also be able to contribute to the International Criminal Court’s investigation. France has made an additional contribution of €500,000 to the ICC and seconded 2 judges and 10 investigators to it.
Russia’s war against Ukraine has had dramatic consequences on global food security. By blocking Ukrainian grain exports, Russia has destabilized global agricultural markets and brought about a risk of a food crisis in many vulnerable countries, affecting prices, production and access to and supply of grains, particularly wheat.
To guarantee food access for all, the French President announced the launch of the international Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission (FARM) initiative for food security in the most vulnerable countries alongside our European Union, G7 and African Union partners.
From the causes to the outbreak of the war to the mechanics of interministerial coordination in response, the first series of “Sources Diplomatiques” podcasts (in French) is an opportunity to look back at the outbreak of the Russian invasion and the response by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, in France and abroad.
Updated: July 2022