It became known why France will provide Ukraine with €1 billion less military aid
17 October 2024 15:26
French Defence Minister Sebastian Le Coronneu has said that France will be able to provide Ukraine with €2 billion in military aid this year, not €3 billion as previously promised. This was reported by Politico, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
“At the beginning of 2024, a political decision was made that this aid could reach EUR3 billion. In reality, we will exceed EUR 2 billion, but we will not reach EUR 3 billion,” Lecorneu said.
He explained that the reason is the budget deficit.
In February, to secure long-term assistance for Ukraine, Paris and Kyiv signed a bilateral security agreement that officially pledged up to €3 billion in military support for this year.
However, according to Politico, France has been forced to cut spending on aid to Ukraine, as the budget deficit for 2024 could reach about 6% of the country’s GDP.
In total, Paris provided Kyiv with military aid worth €1.7 billion in 2022 and €2.1 billion in 2023.
France’s defence budget is expected to reach €50.5 billion next year, one of the few budget items that will increase. However, on Monday, Lecorneuil told lawmakers that the armed forces ministry will stop requesting additional funds at the end of the year for unforeseen expenses related to the deployment of NATO forces in Estonia and Romania or for assistance to Ukraine.
France is also expected to provide Kyiv with Mirage 2000 fighter jets in the first half of 2025.
Lecornu added that the €300 million in aid to Ukraine comes from interest on frozen Russian assets and will be used to buy 155mm artillery ammunition, Caesar self-propelled howitzers and fuel.
Between €400 million and €600 million will be gained through lower inflation rates and used to repair SCALP and Aster missiles for Ukraine.
France is not the only country facing budgetary difficulties.
In Germany, Europe’s largest military aid donor, politicians are planning to halve support for Ukraine next year to cut costs. There are also fears that the US will cut its support for Kyiv if former President Donald Trump returns to the White House.
