France will provide EUR 3 billion in assistance to Ukraine this year, and the provision of aid will continue for 10 years, Deputy Head of the President's Office Ihor Zhovkva has said, highlighting a number of advantages in relation to the cooperation agreement signed between the two countries.

"The third such agreement to implement the G7 Joint Declaration. On the way to concluding the document there were four rounds of bilateral negotiations, countless consultations and telephone calls. There is an ambitious result. The Security Agreement with France has a number of its competitive advantages," he wrote on Facebook.

In particular, according to him, this is clear support for Ukraine's membership in NATO. "France confirms that Ukraine's future accession to NATO will contribute to peace and stability throughout Europe. We will coordinate and strengthen joint efforts to support Ukraine's accession to NATO," he said.

He also noted that the main components of France's security commitments are comprehensive assistance to Ukraine to protect and restore its territorial integrity, support for economic recovery, prevention and active deterrence of any new aggression from the Russian Federation, as well as support for Ukraine's integration into the EU and NATO.

Zhovkva also highlighted certain provisions of the Agreement devoted to cooperation in the field of information and cyber security, protection of critical infrastructure, cooperation in the field of intelligence and counterintelligence, as well as combating organized crime.

In addition, the Agreement stipulates specific amounts of support, in particular, that in 2024 France will provide Ukraine with up to EUR 3 billion of military assistance. Zhovkva emphasized that this support will continue for 10 years.

Also, according to Zhovkva, as with other partners, a mechanism has been established for emergency consultations and appropriate response within 24 hours in the event of a possible upcoming armed attack by the Russian Federation.

The Agreement also contains a "powerful military section" providing Ukraine with security assistance and modern military equipment in the land, air, sea, space and cyber domains, giving priority to, but not limited to, air defense, artillery, long-range weapons, armored vehicles, capabilities air critical capabilities. "Particular attention should be paid to long-range weapons and combat aircraft," the deputy head of the President's Office said.

At the same time, according to Zhovkva, a separate section of cooperation in the field of defense industry provides for French assistance in the development of the defense-industrial base of Ukraine. In particular, by attracting French investment, localizing production on the territory of Ukraine and joint production for the manufacture of priority types of weapons and ammunition.

Zhovkva also highlighted "strong provisions on the mechanism for compensation for damage caused by Russian aggression, the use of Russian assets, as well as a separate sanctions section, which provides for sanctions not only against the Russian Federation, but also other aggressor states."

"Bringing the Russian Federation to justice involves supporting the work of the Office of the Prosecutor General and the International Criminal Court, as well as participating in the work of the Core Group to create a tribunal for the crime of aggression committed against Ukraine," Zhovkva added.

"France's security commitments only accelerate Ukraine's path to NATO. And this is just the beginning," he concluded.

As reported, on Friday, February 16, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron signed an agreement on security cooperation.