France eyes European defense deals amid U.S. competition
France will seek defense contracts with European countries that are currently purchasing American weapons, President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with the French regional press.
- I asked [arms] manufacturers whether we could approach European countries that have become accustomed to buying American products - said Emmanuel Macron. He stated that those buying Patriot systems should be offered the French-Italian SAMP/T, and those purchasing F-35 fighters should consider the Rafale.
Macron mentioned that increasing production will require reducing production costs and reorganizing work and education. He pointed out that since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, France has already made significant advances in the defense sector. - In 2021, we produced ten Caesar self-propelled howitzers, and this year we will produce 82 - he recalled.
Macron stated he "does not rule out" supplying Kyiv with additional Mirage 2000 fighters. In early March, French planes intercepted Russian missiles launched toward Ukraine for the first time.
A peace mission in Ukraine?
The French president also said that the decision to deploy a potential peace mission in Ukraine would rest with Ukraine. - Ukraine is a sovereign state. If it requests the presence of allied troops on its territory, that is not something Russia can accept or not – he emphasized.
He stressed that the objective of such a mission would not be to send a large number of troops to Ukraine, as "the largest European army is Ukraine" (estimated at about one million soldiers). According to the president, it would involve deploying a few thousand soldiers at key points "to conduct training and demonstrate our long-term support" - he declared.
