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Italy and France Push Back on US Arms Initiative—But Not for the Reason You Think
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
France and Italy have declined to join a US-backed initiative to jointly purchase American-made weapons for Ukraine, underscoring their commitment to building a more independent European defense industrial base and lack of funds for the initiative, Politico reported on July 15.
The proposal, introduced last week by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a visit to Washington, quickly gained support from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and four Nordic nations. But France, Italy, Czechia, and Hungary opposed it.
According to Politico, President Emmanuel Macron is resisting the joint-buy plan because it contradicts his long-standing vision for European strategic autonomy.
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The French leader has repeatedly called for greater investment in locally produced defense systems, aiming to reduce Europe’s reliance on the United States.
That stance comes as France faces growing budgetary pressures and efforts to bring down its public deficit, conditions that make large-scale foreign weapons purchases more politically and financially difficult.
Germany and Italy take diverging paths
Meanwhile, Germany has taken a more pragmatic approach. With limited short-term production capacity across Europe’s defense sector, Berlin views US weapons—particularly Patriot air defense systems—as the fastest way to boost Ukraine’s protection against ongoing Russian missile and drone attacks.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government has reportedly concluded that closer cooperation with Washington remains the most effective path to strengthening Ukrainian defenses.
Still, Berlin has not abandoned European defense initiatives. Germany is continuing joint projects with France and Italy, especially in the development and servicing of long-range strike weapons designed to be manufactured entirely within Europe.
France, for its part, has resumed production of SCALP cruise missiles, which have already been deployed by Ukrainian Su-24M bombers.
France: a defense industry built at home
France’s position is rooted in its deep self-sufficiency in defense. It is the only European nation to supply over 95% of its military needs from domestic manufacturers.
As a result, imported weaponry plays only a marginal role in France’s defense posture and is rarely seen as a strategic necessity.
That philosophy is echoed in the Czechia, where officials have also opted out of the US-led weapons procurement project. Instead, Prague is focusing on its own artillery shell initiative and aims to rely more on national resources and industrial capacity.
Italy: no to purchases, yes to transport
Italy has taken a similarly cautious approach. According to La Stampa, Rome has ruled out buying US weapons directly, citing both fiscal constraints and its preference for systems like the Italian-French SAMP/T air defense system, which it has already supplied to Ukraine.
However, Italy is not stepping away from the overall support effort. Defense ministry sources say Italy is evaluating a NATO request to help with the logistical transport of US-supplied weapons by land, sea, or air. The nature and scale of that contribution are still under discussion, but officials say Italy is unlikely to “shy away” from participation.
Earlier, President Donald Trump stated that shipments of Patriot missiles for Ukraine are already underway, with NATO allies and the European Union footing the bill.
