Military aid to Ukraine does not put France in danger, according to the Minister of the Armed Forces
Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu assured Wednesday evening that there was no need to worry about the security of France, which has provided Ukraine with a certain number of military equipment since the start of the Russian invasion.
“We do not make transfers that would put the French nation in danger. We do this with the pragmatism that leads us to look at the reality of our stocks, but also the reality of the advice given to us by our generals”said the minister during a debate on the conflict in the Senate.
This “pragmatism” does not lead France less “to draw conclusions” on the replenishment of its stocks of materials: for example, “the eighteen Caesar guns that were given to Ukraine have been the subject of a new replenishment order since last July”recalled the minister.
The gift of these guns “could destabilize training plans for some artillery regiments, but destabilizing training for some artillerymen (…) has nothing to do with lowering the security standard for France and the French”estimated Mr. Lecornu.
According to the minister, “the real subject” is currently developing a “war economy”i.e. an ability to replenish stocks more quickly in the future, in particular to deal with so-called conflicts of “high intensity”.
“We obviously have an industrial subject that we need to deal with”estimated Mr. Lecornu, specifying that French strategic autonomy will pass in the future by “a need for additional responsiveness”.
President Emmanuel Macron is due to go to Cher on Thursday to visit several arms industry sites in particular to illustrate this effort by France to produce more and more quickly.