Ukraine and France consider joint production of weapons

Ukraine and France have had a discussion on the possibility of launching joint arms production.

This was reported by the press service of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting on the matter with French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu in Kyiv on Thursday.

The head of state noted the comprehensive assistance to Ukraine from France.

During the meeting, Zelensky and Lecornu discussed in detail further steps to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities with the support of France, in particular the possibility of launching joint production of certain types of weapons.

“The head of state noted the effectiveness of military assistance provided by France, in particular SAMP/T anti-aircraft missile systems, Caesar self-propelled artillery installations and SCALP-EG long-range missiles,” the statement said.

Special attention was paid to strengthening the Ukrainian air defense, which is especially important on the eve of the winter period.

As previously reported, in early September, Zelensky said that France would train Ukrainian military pilots. He spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron. It regarded the basic flight training of AFU fighter pilots.

The presidents also discussed the supply of new weapons to the Armed Forces and the assistance that France could provide to protect the Odesa region from Russian attacks.

As of August, France has assisted in the training of six thousand Ukrainian military personnel within the framework of defense support. Ukrainian training took place at French training grounds and in Poland.

According to Sébastien Lecornu, Ukraine receives a monthly batch of 155mm artillery shells from France within the framework of military assistance. Also, France provided Ukraine with cruise missiles SCALP EG aircraft-based.

Earlier, Militarnyi reported that the French Ministry of Defense reported on the transfer of 640 million euros to Ukraine for 2022.