France Pushes Back Against EU Plan
A media outlet reported on Monday, citing diplomatic officials, that Paris has repeatedly argued for giving priority to the EU’s own defense sector when it comes to arms procurement intended for Kiev.
Back in December, EU heads of state signed off on a €90 billion ($107 billion) lending package aimed at addressing Ukraine’s defense requirements and fiscal shortfall.
The framework includes expenditure guidelines that favor weapons produced within the EU before authorizing acquisitions from non-EU suppliers.
According to the outlet, a group of 11 EU capitals has since suggested relaxing these restrictions so Ukraine can more readily obtain arms like the UK’s long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which are currently scarce.
France, however, has positioned itself as an “obvious opponent” of the proposal, a diplomatic source told the newspaper. The report added that Paris stands at the forefront of the EU’s push for “strategic autonomy,” driven by worries about excessive dependence on US defense capabilities following tensions with Washington over its disputed bid to acquire Greenland.
As structured now, the €90 billion loan requires weapons purchases to follow a four-tier procurement sequence.
This system gives precedence to Ukrainian manufacturers, then EU defense companies, followed by partner nations such as the UK, while non-European suppliers—including the US—are considered only as a final option, the article explained. Ukrainian officials have allegedly estimated that roughly €24 billion worth of military equipment needed this year will have to be sourced from outside the EU.
A diplomatic source told the media outlet that Britain and its allies are seeking to keep the mechanism “open enough for the UK,” ensuring that access to the third level of the procurement hierarchy “is not so hard.”
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