France's Prime Minister Gabriel Attal makes a statement about the situation in Ukraine prior to a debate at the National Assembly in Paris on March 12, 2024. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP)
Paris: French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on Tuesday told parliament that Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion had hit a "tipping point", warning of "real, tangible dangers" for France should Russia defeat Kyiv's forces.
Attal issued a stark view of the risks of failing to support Ukraine ahead of a symbolic vote in parliament on President Emmanuel Macron's Ukraine strategy, as domestic tensions rage in the run-up to June's European Parliament elections.
Macron's camp has been seeking to hammer home the importance of greater support for Ukraine, which is running out of ammunition, insisting that Europe's security is at stake.
Following a debate, the National Assembly lower house will hold a non-binding vote on the government's Ukraine strategy, including a bilateral security agreement signed by Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last month.
"Ukraine is watching us, waiting for the confirmation and signal of our unity behind them," Attal told lawmakers as he opened the debate.
He added that "we are at a tipping point" in the conflict and that a Russian victory had "real, tangible dangers" for "everyday life for the French people".
