Paris wants to boost the bloc’s military industry as it pushes for greater self-sufficiency amid a rift with the US over Greenland, the newspaper said.
France has clashed with several EU countries over a proposal to allow Ukraine to use an EU-backed loan to buy Britain’s Storm Shadow missiles, The Telegraph reported on Monday, citing diplomatic sources. Paris has consistently pushed for preferential treatment for the EU’s military industry in contracts destined for Kyiv.
In December, EU leaders approved a 90 billion euro ($107 billion) loan to cover Kiev’s military needs and a budget gap, with spending rules that prioritize EU-made weapons over allowing purchases from outside the bloc. According to The Telegraph, a coalition of 11 capitals has now proposed relaxing the rule to make it easier for Ukraine to buy weapons such as Britain’s long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which are in short supply.
However, France proved to be an “clear opponent” to the plan, a diplomatic source told the newspaper. The outlet said Paris is at the center of the EU’s efforts “strategic autonomy” amid fears of over-reliance on US defense following a rift with Washington over its controversial push to acquire Greenland.
Under the current €90 billion loan proposal, arms spending would follow a four-tier procurement cascade that favors first Ukrainian manufacturers, then EU defense firms, followed by partner countries such as the UK, with suppliers outside Europe – including the US – seen as a last resort, according to the article. Ukrainian officials have reportedly estimated that around €24 billion in equipment will have to come from non-EU suppliers this year.
A diplomatic source told The Telegraph that the aim of Britain and its partners was to maintain the system “open enough for the UK” to ensure that the third layer of the cascade is reached “it’s not that hard.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has previously warned that the EU loan should not be limited “Buy European” rules while acknowledging the block “It cannot fully deliver everything Ukraine needs to defend itself today and make decisions about tomorrow.”
Moscow condemned Western arms supplies as prolonging the conflict, while Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested that part of a 30 billion euro EU loan earmarked for Ukraine’s budget support had been embezzled by local officials.
You can share this story on social media:
Leave a Reply