French Defense Minister, Sebastian Lecornu, announced that will provide the country with a new aid package to ukrainewhich would include “hundreds” armored vehicles And Aster anti-aircraft missiles, A new sign of support in protest against the bombing by Russian forces.
“To maintain such a wide front line, the Ukrainian army needs, for example, our military transport vehicles, which are key to mobility,” said Sébastien Lecornu in an interview with the newspaper. The Tribune.
Although France is updating its VAB transport fleet with more modern Griffons, the minister assured that the older models are still functional and will be delivered in large quantities through 2024 and early 2025.
Paris will also supply more Aster 30 anti-aircraft missiles For SAMP/T systems, similar to Patriot air defense system Supplied by the United States.
,We are also developing remotely operated munitions for delivery to Ukraine in the very short term by this summerLecornu said.
The French government wants to boost the production of the local defense industry to meet the needs of its military and ensure continued support for Ukraine after more than two years of war with Russia.
Options considered included activating requirements and imposing military priorities on manufacturing, temporarily reducing civilian demands.
Kyiv has been demanding this western allies To send more aid and confront Russian troops more quickly.
But political unrest in both the United States and the European Union has hindered deliveries of arms and money in recent months.
Ukrainian troops on the battlefield are on the defensive, facing a shortage of artillery supplies, US aid has been halted in Congress and Congress European Union He is not delivering the ammunition on time as he had promised earlier.
,If there is no support from the United States, it means we have no air defense, no Patriot missiles, no electronic warfare jammers, and no 155-millimeter artillery shells.s,” the Ukrainian president said Volodymyr Zelensky during an interview with Washington Post. “It means we will go back, we will go back step by step, baby steps.”
The Ukrainian army’s top commander said, Oleksandr Sirsky, Spoke to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, charles brown, On battlefield issues. An account of the conversation on Telegram said Syrsky discussed “the issue of vital US aid to Ukraine”, including strengthening defenses against Russian air attacks and building fortifications.
“If you need 8,000 rounds of ammunition per day to defend the front line, but for example, you only have 2,000 rounds of ammunition, you have to reduce,” Zelensky explained. Post. “Like? Of course, to go back. Shorten the front line. If it is cut the Russians can move to the big cities.”
“We are trying to find a way not to retreat,” he said, acknowledging that “if steps are not taken to prepare for another retaliatory strike, Russia will take them.” This is what we learned in this war: If you don’t, Russia will”Zelensky expressed.
Two weeks ago, French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated, in an interview published in the newspaper Le Parisien, that an “operation on the ground” may be necessary in Ukraine.
He declared, “Perhaps at some point – I do not want this and I will not take the initiative – it will be necessary to conduct ground operations to counter the Russian forces, whatever they may be.”
France, Germany and Poland Macron joined Germany’s heads of government at the time, saying they were “united” in their “determination” to prevent a Russian victory in the war against Ukraine. Olaf ScholzAnd from Poland, Donald Tusk.
Macron said that after weeks of tension with Germany over a strategy to support Ukraine, the three countries would remain faithful to their position to “never take the initiative to escalate tensions”.
(With information from AFP, Reuters and Europa Press)