On Thursday, France affirmed its solidarity with Britain and the Netherlands, which have faced naval incidents with Russia in the Black Sea, emphasizing its commitment to "strict adherence to international law." In a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian expressed his "deep interest in the recent regional tensions, particularly in the last few days in the Black Sea, and his solidarity with our partners."
Russia stated that it fired warning shots on June 23 towards the British destroyer HMS Defender to urge it to leave what it considers its territorial waters off the coast of the Ukrainian Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014. London, which denied that its warship came under Russian fire, asserted that it was conducting a "peaceful transit through Ukrainian territorial waters" and acted "reasonably."
This British-Russian confrontation sets a precedent. It occurred just days before the "Sea Breeze 2021" military exercises involving the United States and other NATO countries, along with Ukraine in the Black Sea. Moscow looks upon these exercises with great displeasure.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands accused Russian warplanes of displaying "dangerous" behavior towards one of its warships, the frigate HNLMS Evertsen, which was part of the British destroyer Defender group on June 23 in the Black Sea. The Russian military had gathered its forces near Ukraine for weeks in the spring, leading to heightened tensions with the West and raising fears of an assault on Kyiv.
France has faced sharp criticism from some European partners, particularly in the East, after it, along with Germany, called for the resumption of dialogue between the European Union and Russia, which has been stalled since the annexation of Crimea. Le Drian welcomed the approval by the Ukrainian parliament on Thursday of four French-Ukrainian economic agreements, considering it a "practical indicator of the vitality of bilateral relations." These agreements, valued at €1.3 billion, primarily concern the delivery of locomotives to Ukraine and water management in Kyiv.
