“Paris insists on spending the loan for Ukraine only on weapons from the EU, blocking British missiles.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Storm Shadow. Photo: Getty Images Source: publication The Telegraph
Literally: “A coalition of 11 EU capitals has proposed easing rules for Kyiv to use a €90bn (£78bn) loan to buy British arms, but France wants the money to be spent within the EU.”
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Details: According to the publication, the current plan for the use of the loan, two-thirds of which will be directed to the purchase of weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, provides for giving priority to the European and Ukrainian defense industry before purchases outside the EU.
At the same time, according to documents seen by The Telegraph, Ukrainian military officials estimated that in 2026, Ukraine will need military equipment produced outside the EU for a total of 24 billion euros.
Literally: “This figure mostly refers to supplies of US Patriot air defense systems and PAC-3 interceptors, but long-range missiles have been identified as another need that European countries may not be able to meet.”
Details: In this context, British Storm Shadow missiles were considered as a possible solution. The authors of the initiative proposed a four-level system of priorities that would allow Great Britain to take a higher place in the procurement chain, provided it is ready to meet Ukraine’s needs.
However, according to one of the diplomatic sources, France does not agree with this initiative.
Literally: “Paris is at the center of efforts to secure the EU’s strategic autonomy from its allies, mostly the US, amid a rift with President Donald Trump over his threats to seize Greenland.”
Details: According to a journalist’s source, France insists that any funds transferred to Ukraine should primarily contribute to the development of the defense industry of the European Union itself, even if this contradicts Kyiv’s urgent defense needs.
This approach has already drawn domestic criticism, as it is estimated to limit Ukraine’s ability to defend itself effectively, particularly against Russian air attacks.