France to Provide Ukraine With €195 Million in Military Aid Using Frozen Russian Assets

France has announced a new military aid package for Ukraine worth €195 million, funded by the interest generated from frozen Russian assets. The announcement was made by French Minister of Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu in an interview with La Tribune Dimanche.

According to Lecornu, the package will include 155mm artillery shells and AASM precision-guided bombs, compatible with the French Mirage 2000 fighter jets already supplied to Ukraine. Additionally, France will expedite the delivery of AMX-10RC light tanks and VAB armored personnel carriers, previously in service with the French military.

As part of its broader strategy to enhance its own defense capabilities and support Ukraine, France is increasing military production. Dassault Aviation plans to ramp up the production of Rafale fighter jets from two per month in 2024 to four or five per month by 2026.

The French government is also set to double the production of MBDA Akeron MP anti-tank missiles in 2025 and increase AASM bomb production by 2026. To achieve these goals, partnerships will be strengthened with defense companies Thales and EOS, specializing in military and electronic warfare technologies.

Lecornu emphasized that France’s key priorities include ammunition production, electronic warfare systems, drones, robotics, artificial intelligence, and space technologies.

The European Union has frozen approximately €211 billion in Russian sovereign assets, while the G7 countries and Australia have collectively blocked an estimated €260 billion.