France preparing for arms race Minister says  

French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot has said that the French authorities are actively preparing for the upcoming military competition.

"France is preparing for this arms race. The military budget will enable the French army to enhance its deployment, intervention, and defence capabilities,” he said, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

He asserted that France's primary line of defence is currently situated in southern and eastern Ukraine. Paris is committed to doing its best to support Ukraine.

"That is why France is doing everything possible, militarily, financially, and humanitarianly, to support Ukraine as long and as intensely as necessary," he stated. 

According to the "Military Planning Law", the French defence budget will increase by more than 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) in 2025, despite overall significant budget cuts, bringing the total to 50.5 billion euros ($54.8 billion). 

French Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu noted that the coming year should be pivotal for the rearmament of the French army. For this purpose, 10.6 billion euros ($11.5 billion) has been allocated, representing a 16 per cent increase.

The budget for developing the country's nuclear capabilities will rise by 8 per cent, reaching 7 billion euros ($7.6 billion). Earlier, Lecornu announced that France's military assistance to Ukraine in 2024 will exceed 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion).

He also stated that the delivery of promised fighter jets to Kyiv is scheduled for the first quarter of 2025. 

These aircraft will be equipped with new air-to-ground weapons. France continues training Ukrainian pilots and mechanics. French President Emmanuel Macron has recently visited a military base where a brigade of 2,300 Ukrainian soldiers is being trained. 

Paris intends to fully equip this brigade with weapons, including VAB armoured vehicles, Caesar self-propelled howitzers, and AMX-10 wheeled tanks.

By Naila Huseynova