(Reuters) – France and Ukraine have made a commitment to collaborate in the ongoing efforts to supply arms for Kyiv’s counteroffensive against Russian occupying forces and to jointly develop weapons production, as stated on Thursday.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov disclosed that he and his French counterpart focused on enhancing cooperation in the training of Kyiv’s armed forces, as well as in the technical field.
“There are several ongoing or discussed projects aimed at establishing joint production of new weapons or maintenance of existing ones,” Umerov stated during a joint news conference with French minister Sebastien Lecornu.
Both sides are considering the creation of a fund “to support collaborations with our partners and companies interested in initiating production in Ukraine,” he added.
While not providing specific details on the arms that may be provided, Lecornu emphasized that France will “continue to provide necessary assistance to Ukraine.” He expressed confidence in Ukrainian arms for the success of the counteroffensive against Russian forces.
Ukraine’s counteroffensive is primarily focused on reclaiming areas in eastern Ukraine that were occupied by Russian troops earlier this year and advancing south to disrupt the land bridge formed by Russia between annexed Crimea and the eastern positions.
Lecornu stated that France and Ukraine will explore possibilities for joint arms acquisition or production. Additionally, Paris will continue to provide training to Ukrainian soldiers, with over 7,000 trained this year.
During his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Lecornu discussed potential collaborations in weapons production. “We will continue this work. I discussed with your ministers how French industry can assist you,” Lecornu conveyed in a video shared on the Telegram messenger app by Zelenskiy.
Zelenskiy’s office stated that the discussions between Lecornu and Zelenskiy also revolved around reinforcing Ukraine’s air defenses ahead of winter, as there are concerns in Kyiv regarding Russia’s potential air strike campaign on critical energy infrastructure during the winter season.
Zelenskiy expressed gratitude to French President Emmanuel Macron for the military assistance provided, particularly mentioning the supply of anti-aircraft missile systems, Caesar self-propelled artillery units, and Scalp cruise missiles.
(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa and Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Ron Popeski, and Leslie Adler)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
