France opts out of joint European plan to fund US arms for Ukraine

France has decided not to participate in a European initiative aimed at financing the transfer of U.S. weapons to Ukraine, according to reports by Politico citing French government sources.

The plan, supported by several European countries, involves pooling funds to purchase American arms to bolster Ukraine’s defence amid the ongoing conflict. However, France, under President Emmanuel Macron’s leadership, has taken a different stance, preferring to prioritise strengthening its own defence industrial base by procuring weapons from European manufacturers.

Politico notes that French officials confirmed Paris’s refusal to join the initiative is tied to this longstanding policy, as well as fiscal constraints. The French government is currently working to boost national defence spending while managing budget cuts and addressing a significant fiscal deficit.

In contrast, countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and several Nordic nations have backed the plan. Germany, in particular, has been advocating strongly for swift deliveries of U.S.-made weaponry, including Patriot air defence systems, to Ukraine, especially as Ukrainian cities face intensified bombardments.

Germany’s federal government views purchasing American arms as one of the fastest ways to supply Ukraine with critical military equipment, given the limitations of Europe’s own manufacturing capacity.

By Vugar Khalilov