Paris (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecournu said France will use interest from Russian assets to support another 195 million euros in arms for Ukraine.
French government also plans to transfer some of its older armoured fighting gear, such as its AMX-10RC and personnel carriers, Lecournu said in an interview with La Tribune weekend newspaper.
Thanks to interest from frozen Russian assets, we will also tap new funds worth 195 million euros,
Lecournu stated, saying that it would be utilized for 155-mm artillery shells and glide bombs for Mirage 2000 fighter jets France has given Ukraine.
The Group of Seven countries arranged last year to supply Ukraine with $50 billion through a series of bilateral loans that Ukraine could pay off using windfall gains from $300 billion of frozen Russian state assets.
How is France boosting Ukrainian defence?
A few days ago, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu declared that France is sharing intelligence with Ukraine, a move that contradicted the United States expressing it was cutting off intelligence-sharing with Kyiv.
Speaking to France Inter radio, Lecornu expressed France is continuing its intelligence sharing.
Our intelligence is sovereign,
Lecornu said.
We have intelligence that we allow Ukraine to benefit from.
Lecornu’s office later expressed the sharing of intelligence with Ukraine is not a novelty but “a continuity of service.”
He also said that following the US decision to stop all military aid to Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron requested him to “accelerate the various French aid packages” to compensate for the absence of American assistance.
Lecornu stated that in the wake of the U.S. decision, freight of Ukraine-bound aid departing from Poland had been stopped, adding however that “Ukrainians, unfortunately, have learned to fight this war for three years now and know how to stockpile.”
