French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejournay on Wednesday warned the world not to be misled by Russia’s claims that it has taken control of Ukraine, writes AFP.

“Russia is trying to convince us that its victory is inevitable. In particular, they are trying to convince us that Ukraine has already lost. This is not true for several reasons,” said Stéphane Sejourne at a hearing in the National Assembly.

He emphasized that the Ukrainian army “has already managed to return (…) almost half of the Ukrainian territory conquered by Russia.”

“Contrary to popular belief, Ukraine has achieved a number of significant successes, particularly in Crimea and the Black Sea, securing a maritime corridor that is crucial for exports and the world’s food balance,” he added.

Finally, he said that since the beginning of winter, “it is the Russian troops who have exhausted themselves in expensive offensive operations in terms of men and equipment for very limited gains.”

“Sanctions against Russia are “effective”

“We should not be drawn into the narrative that sanctions are ineffective,” he said, adding that data on the effectiveness of those sanctions “will likely” be released soon.

However, he acknowledged that there is room for improvement and that more needs to be done to combat the “abuse” of these sanctions.

Finally, he confirmed France’s readiness to support Ukraine “in the long term”.