France's National Assembly resumed its work on Monday with a debate on the war in Ukraine and its consequences for France, with a call from Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne to "continue the sanctions" to "make the cost of the war unbearable for Russia".
"Our objective has been the same from the start: making the cost of the war unbearable for Russia, hitting its economy hard to prevent it from financing its offensive," Borne told the National Assembly as MPs returned to work after their summer break.
"Moscow is trying to keep up its illusion. But the facts are there. Russian propaganda shouldn't fool us. The Russian economy is suffocating," she added.
Borne's remarks were in part aimed at parties in opposition to her minority government, including the National Rally (RN).
France's far-right party has in the past received loans from Russian banks and its de-facto leader Marine Le Pen was photographed shaking hands with President Vladimir Putin.
"Abandoning the sanctions would be abandoning Ukraine. It would be giving up on our values. It would be submitting to Russia. France, patriotism, means not abandoning, not giving up, not submitting," Borne said.
"These sanctions, whether those who conceal their fascination for Russian imperialism with claims of patriotism like it or not, are working," she added.
RN leaders say increased energy costs, driven in part by Western sanctions have made the cost of living untenable for French families.
Human rights
Borne also praised the "heroism" of the Ukrainians who she said are "progressing" in the face of Russia, which is "entrenching itself in cynicism, threat and blackmail", after Moscow's demand for the annexation of four regions, strongly condemned by Kyiv and the West.
"We are determined that the crimes committed by Russia be documented, tried and punished," she insisted, accusing Putin of "attacking our democratic model".
The President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet, who recently met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, insisted on "the unfailing support of the French National Assembly for Ukraine and to his people".
Ukraine's Ambassador Vadym Omelchenko was given a standing ovation by the MPs during the debate.
Meanwhile, Borne announced that French households hosting Ukrainian refugees would receive a state payout of up to €200 euros ($197) per month starting in late November.
Borne said more than 100,000 Ukrainians are being hosted in France, including 19,000 children now attending French schools.
Weapons
France is considering new deliveries of military equipment to Ukraine, in particular 6 to 12 Caesar guns taken from an order intended for Denmark.
Paris has already delivered 18 examples of this 155 mm gun mounted on a truck, amputating nearly a quarter of the French Army fleet.
However, the National Rally and the far-left LFI oppose the delivery of offensive weapons to Ukraine, believing that it would make France a "co-belligerent".
The RN continues to claim this position despite the counter-offensive led by Ukraine on the ground. And has criticized the impact of the sanctions against Russia for the purchasing power of the French.
Borne reiterated that France remained "extremely concerned about the situation" of the Zaporijjia nuclear power plant (southern Ukraine) controlled by Russia, indicating that Paris supported the proposal of the Director General of the International Agency of Atomic Energy (IAEA) "to stop firing and withdraw military equipment from the area".
Reconstruction
Borne announced the organization "in the coming months" in Paris of an economic conference on Ukraine, in order to "mobilize French companies" in the reconstruction of the country.
"I am announcing that we will organize in the coming months, in Paris, an economic conference with the Ukrainian authorities to mobilize French companies", she affirmed.
The needs of the country for its reconstruction are now estimated at 350 billion euros, she said.
This conference will take place in the wake of the conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine scheduled for 25 October in Germany and that of Lugano which was held this summer.
"In the short term, we are committed to concentrating our efforts on the reconstruction of the Chernihiv region, in the north of the country. We are following the sponsorship mechanism proposed" by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, she said.
In her speech, Borne also affirmed that France supported "the initiatives of the European Commission to accompany and organize the financing of the reconstruction of Ukraine".
