France continues to support Ukraine's membership in the North Atlantic Alliance, as it would serve as the most effective guarantee of its security.
According to the French television channel TF1, this was stated by France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, during a broadcast on LCI. When asked how Paris would respond if the Russian Federation were to launch a new attack on Ukraine after a peace agreement is reached, he replied that NATO membership should not be ruled out:
"France has stated that the best guarantee of security on the day peace is achieved is NATO's guarantee, because it is a guarantee that Russia has never tested. I do not think we should exclude the possibility that this card will be played. It is the most effective and least costly security guarantee."
Ukraine's NATO Membership
As is well known, US President Donald Trump and his team have expressed doubts regarding Ukraine's accession to NATO. Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin stated that he does not consider Ukraine's membership in the Alliance a realistic outcome of the negotiations, while Trump called it unlikely.
Following this, several countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, and Sweden, have stated that the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO cannot be dismissed.
Reports indicate that at today's meeting in Paris, European leaders will discuss Ukraine's accession to NATO if Russia violates the ceasefire.