On September 29, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal had a meeting in Kyiv with the President of the National Assembly of the French Republic, Yaël Braun-Pivet.

The Head of the Government of Ukraine thanked the French side for the visit of the Chernihiv region, over which France had taken the lead in the post-war reconstruction, and praised the practical assistance for the affected regions.

Denys Shmyhal and Ms. Yael Braun-Pivet discussed the escalation of the war on the part of russia. The Prime Minister of Ukraine emphasized that partners, in particular France, should respond toughly to the holding of pseudo-referendums in the occupied territories of Ukraine and to the continuous nuclear blackmail with the captured Zaporizhzhia NPP.

"France and President Macron have personally taken the lead in solving the problem of the plant. We also expect the russian federation to be recognized as a state sponsor of terrorism with all the relevant consequences that this status entails," said the Head of the Ukrainian Government.

During the meeting, the parties also raised the issue of financial and defense support as well as Ukraine's integration into the European Union.

For her part, Ms. Yael Braun-Pivet assured that France's position on supporting Ukraine remains unchanged. The President of the National Assembly of France reported that this week a French ship had left Marseille with practical help for the Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Odesa regions. Moreover, the French Republic will continue to support the strengthening of sanctions against russia.