France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot delivered a wide-ranging address linking the Bondi terror attack in Australia with Europe’s tightening stance on Russia, Ukraine and global security. Barrot said Russia is politically, militarily and economically failing, with battlefield gains coming at the cost of heavy human losses. He confirmed that Russian assets in Europe will remain frozen until the war ends and reparations are paid to Ukraine, while announcing new EU sanctions targeting Russia’s so-called ghost fleet, foreign interference networks and Kremlin-linked propaganda figures. Barrot also outlined Europe’s positions on Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, China, Haiti and organized crime, signalling a harder and more autonomous European approach on security, sanctions and global stability.