January 26, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna arrived in Odessa, a strategic port city on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, as part of a French effort to promote relations with Ukraine and discuss the needs of Kiev next time.
During the visit, Colonna will meet her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba to discuss humanitarian and military aid.
The content of the discussion may refer to the question of whether France is ready to supply Leclerc main battle tanks to Ukraine after the US and Germany committed to bringing tanks to Ukraine.
To date, France has agreed to provide the AMX-10 RC armored fighting vehicle for Ukrainebut has not yet committed to deploying Leclerc battle tanks to this country.
Odessa is Ukraine’s third most populous city and a major tourist, commercial and transport hub located on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea.
On January 25, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced that the historic center of Odessa was added to the list of world heritage in danger. This is a move to protect the cultural heritage of Odessa, which has been threatened since the Russian-Ukrainian conflict broke out.
Nguyen Hang (VNA/Vietnam+)