The slogan was given by Emmanuel Macron during his press conference on Tuesday January 16. “We cannot let Russia win.” And the French head of state, who is due to visit Kiev for the second time next February, to commit to strengthening European cooperation in the delivery of arms.
This Thursday, January 18, the Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu held a ceremony at the Hôtel de Brienne attended by videoconference by his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov. While his visit to France was announced, the Ukrainian Minister of Defense canceled his presence at the last moment “for security reasons”. A last minute change, which however did not prevent Sébastien Lecornu from announcing the launch of a completely new format: the “artillery coalition”.
Strengthening Allied Cooperation
A workshop which brings together twenty-three nations with a single objective: “to unite efforts to help Ukraine have an artillery force adapted to the needs of the counter-offensive and its army of tomorrow”, indicated the French Ministry of the Armed Forces. This, both in the short term and in the long term.
Led jointly by France and the United States, this coalition is among the components defined by the contact group for the defense of Ukraine, called the Ramstein group. Initiated by American Secretary of State for Defense Lloyd Austin, this format has brought together more than 50 countries supporting kyiv for almost a half year, and has deployed five capability coalitions to date. Among which, ground-air defense, armored vehicles, air forces, and even maritime security.
Security agreement with kyiv being finalized
An initiative which comes in a context of strong tensions. For months, experts have been sounding the alarm about Ukraine’s lack of ammunition. And for good reason, defensive capabilities diminish as the conflict gets bogged down. And the quantities delivered remain for the moment below kyiv’s needs.
This Tuesday, Emmanuel Macron promised “new deliveries”. Around forty Scalp missiles and a few hundred bombs. And announced that it was “in the process of finalizing a security agreement” with kyiv. A text similar to that concluded on Friday January 12 between London and kyiv over a period of ten years.
Because if the objectives of the allies, and more specifically of the European Union, are ambitious: to deliver one million munitions by spring 2024. The delay is worrying: only 300,000 shells have been transported to Ukraine to date.
Tripling of French production capacities
For its part, the Hôtel de Brienne welcomed this Thursday a tripling of ammunition production capacities in France, going from 1,000 units produced per month before the war in Ukraine to 3,000 hoped for during 2024. Results which are part of France’s desire to switch “from a logic of transfer from stocks to a logic of production”.
“Thanks to the efforts of the war economy, France has the capacity to produce in 2024 and early 2025 78 Caesar arrows for Ukraine”, detailed Sébastien Lecornu who also announced having released 50 million euros “taken on the support fund for Ukraine”, replenished by 200 million euros at the end of 2023.
A sum which should be used to purchase 12 of the 18 Caesar cannons delivered to Ukraine. “But 60 still remain to be financed”, underlined the Minister of the Armed Forces who nevertheless remains optimistic about “the capacity of the allies to share” the bill which amounts to some 280 million euros.
Upgrade Caesar Cannons
At the same time, the executive reiterated its desire to modernize the Caesar cannons based on data collected in the field. “Nexter [NDLR, groupe franco-allemand KNDS] will make some improvements on these Caesar guns, which will be able to strengthen its use for the reconnaissance of Russian tanks, […] and to accompany the artillery fire”. But rest assured, “these developments will not cost the taxpayer very dearly”.