French Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Christophe Lemoine emphasized the importance of transatlantic economic relations and reacted to protectionist policies in his assessment at the weekly press conference. "We are the US's largest trading partner," Lemoine said, adding that the US would have a lot to lose if it enters a trade war with Europe. When asked by a journalist, "Is the US on Europe's side or against it on Ukraine?", Lemoine replied, "We have a historical relationship with the US and we have an intense dialogue on different cooperation issues." Lemoine said that the new US administration has taken a new stance not only on Ukraine but also on increasing customs duties on trade, but negotiations are ongoing.