Macron Urges Acceleration of French Military Support to Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for an expedited allocation of military aid to Ukraine to fill the gap left by reduced U.S. support, as confirmed by Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu on France Inter radio Thursday morning.

“The President of the Republic has instructed me to accelerate the delivery of French aid packages to Ukraine in response to the reduction in American support,” the minister stated.

Lecornu did not specify the nature or the volume of the assistance being provided.

However, he emphasized that France is prepared to offer Ukraine its intelligence support in place of the United States.

Last night, U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz stated that the United States is urging Ukraine to begin negotiations with Russia as a condition for resuming intelligence sharing and arms deliveries, which had been halted due to a decision made during Donald Trump’s administration.

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the suspension of all U.S. military aid to Ukraine. This decision affects both weapons that were agreed upon for shipment during the Biden administration but have not yet been delivered, as well as those already en route to the Ukrainian border from the United States.

French aid

One month ago, the French Minister of Defense announced the arrival of the first French Mirage 2000-5F multi-role fighters in Ukraine as part of military aid. These aircraft are set to address the pressing needs of the Ukrainian Air Force.

“With Ukrainian pilots on board, who have undergone several months of training in France, they will now participate in the defense of Ukrainian skies,” the statement reads.Since the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion, France has provided Ukraine with a total of €6 billion in military aid as of January 2025.

This includes various weapons, ammunition, SCALP EG cruise missiles and AASM guided bombs, combat aircraft, and drones, as well as armored vehicles and training for Ukrainian military personnel.

Ukrainian artillerymen also actively use French wheeled 155-mm Caesar self-propelled howitzers to strike at the Russian invaders.