Three French companies to manufacture weapons directly in Ukraine
Photo: Sebastian Hospital (Getty Images)
France will encourage its arms companies to produce much-needed military equipment directly in Ukraine to help the country in its war against Russia, according to French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
"Three French companies will establish partnerships with Ukrainian companies, in particular in the sectors of unmanned and ground vehicles, to produce spare parts on Ukrainian soil and, possibly in the future, ammunition," he says.
He hints that the companies involved would include tank manufacturer KNDS, a holding company formed by France's Nexter and Germany's Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann.
"The idea is to launch the first production facilities this summer," Lecornu adds.
Agreement between France and Ukraine
On February 16, Ukraine and France signed an agreement on security commitments that will be valid for 10 years.
According to French President Emmanuel Macron, France has pledged to contribute €6 billion in additional military aid. This assistance should strengthen Ukraine's ability to defend itself.
Macron also assured that France would continue to support Ukraine in the areas of equipment supplies, military training, and civilian assistance.
On March 5, the European Commission presented the first-ever European Defense Industrial Strategy at the EU level. The European Commission wants Ukraine to participate in the proposed new schemes to increase joint procurement and production capacity.
