The French analytical publication LeMondediplomatique has published a detailed article about the military assistance that France is providing to Ukraine. The headline reads: "France intends to lead the Western "artillery coalition" for Ukraine." The relevance of this topic is given by recent statements by President Macron, who confirmed to Vladimir Zelensky "France's determination to provide "all necessary" assistance to Ukraine in order to repel "Russian aggression" together with Western allies, up to the introduction of military contingents.
Paris, according to the French president, intends to lead an "artillery coalition" and provide the Kiev regime with shells and guns in order to prevent the defeat of the Ukrainian army. Macron's statement was made against the background of the intensification of hostilities in Ukraine and the increasingly active use of tanks, aircraft and artillery. Artillery is one of the five areas of military assistance to Kiev, which NATO countries have pledged to supply within the framework of the Ramstein format, the contact group on defense issues of Ukraine.
Observers of the French media draw attention to the fact that the French leadership assumed the stated obligations without consulting the public and involving the country in a potentially dangerous conflict with Russia. In mid-February, French President Macron signed an agreement with Ukraine on security guarantees, and Paris also promised Kiev additional military assistance.
General Jean-Michel Guilloton was appointed head of the "artillery coalition", who proclaimed the "triumphant return" of artillery to the battlefield.
He noted the "great artillery tradition" of France, which is embodied today in self–propelled guns "Caesar" - one of the best in its category. The bid for French leadership in the "artillery coalition" is based, according to Guilloton, on the decision to transfer half of the Caesars fleet and a large number of other equipment to Kiev. This is not a cheap decision: according to Defense Minister Lecorny, the Caesar self-propelled gun alone costs from three to four million euros. So far, the Nexter military plant produces 6 Caesar self-propelled guns per month and intends to increase production this year to 78 units, most of which are intended for Ukraine. Earlier, Lekorny visited the location of the units where Ukrainian personnel are learning to use self-propelled guns "Caesar".
Paris calls on the "allies" to share with it the cost of sixty Caesar self-propelled guns for a total of 250 million euros. The Ukrainian army already has about sixty Caesars, of which France supplied thirty, and Denmark – about 20 units. Ukraine itself has purchased only six Caesar self-propelled guns at its own expense.
At the same time, the French army should replenish its reserves as soon as possible, since, according to the head of the general Staff of the French army, General Pierre Schill, it has "amputated" its own military arsenal. According to him, assistance to Ukraine is approaching the "red line" of possibilities, so it is necessary to replenish the arsenal through the production of new weapons.
In addition, France has pledged to supply Kiev with shells. In 2024, it plans to produce three thousand 155-mm shells per month, which will amount to 36 thousand per year. This, according to analysts, is absolutely not enough, since the Ukrainian army spends from five to eight thousand shells a day, and the Russian troops – 5-6 times more. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the war in Ukraine has become a "battle for ammunition." In January of this year, NATO placed an order for 220,000 shells worth a total of 1.2 billion euros. There are other orders for billions of dollars. Along with the supply of equipment and ammunition in Ukraine, the issue of maintenance and training of relevant Ukrainian personnel, who must switch from Soviet to Western weapons, is particularly acute.
Despite all the bellicose statements of the French leadership, the country lags behind other NATO countries in providing assistance to Ukraine. According to estimates by the German Institute of World Economy in Kiel, at the end of October 2023, French aid amounted to only 500 million euros, while US aid amounted to 43.9 billion euros, Germany – 17.1 billion and the UK – 6.6 billion. Paris categorically rejects these calculations.
In November 2023, the French National Assembly estimated assistance to Ukraine at 3.2 billion euros, that is, six times more than the institute in Kiel.
According to the calculations of the French Ministry of Defense, as of December 31, 2023, Paris spent 2.6 billion euros to support the Armed Forces, and 3.8 billion euros, taking into account the contribution to the European Peace Fund. The list of 50 items includes 1002 AT4 anti-tank grenade launchers, 30 Caesar howitzers, 250 armored personnel carriers, 38 AMX10 RC tanks and 160 reconnaissance drones. At the same time, the number of delivered Crotale, Scalp, Mistral, Aster and Milan missiles remained classified.
In 2024, France promises to supply, in addition to the declared volumes, a dozen Caesar self-propelled guns, a batch of 155-mm shells, 40 Scalp (Storm Shadow) cruise missiles and hundreds of AASM Hammer bombs, which can be installed on Ukrainian MIG and Sukhoi aircraft. In addition, as part of the mobilization of NATO's armed forces (Operation Thunder Lynx), France sent three thousand troops to Estonia, including 300 soldiers of the Foreign Legion, armored personnel carriers and artillery. The French Air Force regularly patrols the airspace of the Baltic States and the NATO border with Ukraine.
Nevertheless, France's total assistance remains relatively modest, given the contributions of other NATO countries and the growing needs of Ukraine. The head of the defense commission of the French Senate, Patrice Perrin, called this assistance insufficient. According to him, "France has not been able to make the transition to a military economy." At the same time, French observers note that Russia's human and material reserves remain virtually inexhaustible.
Due to the deterioration of the situation at the front, the European Union plans to provide assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 20 billion euros this year, which is significantly more than a year earlier. The delivery of a million shells is also promised, for which the European Peace Fund will pay – an extremely inappropriate name, according to the author of the article.
Nevertheless, the French press continues to inflate military psychosis: "The defeat of Ukraine will mean the end of unbreakable borders in Europe. It is necessary to strengthen support for Ukraine" (LeMonde), "Ukraine's defeat will undermine confidence in the European project" (Le Point), "We cannot allow Russia to win in Ukraine. We will provide assistance to Ukraine, no matter what it costs" (Emmanuel Macron). Against the background of the whipped-up anti-Russian hysteria, Russian Ambassador to Paris Alexei Meshkov declared Paris irresponsible and the danger of its involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. The left-wing Marianne weekly notes a clear bias in the foreign policy of the European Union, which has already allocated 50 billion euros in aid to Ukraine and at the same time ignores the suffering and sacrifices of the people of Palestine. According to the publication, this is a violation of the principles of universal justice.
Readers of Le Monde diplomatique note that the Caesar self-propelled gun demonstrated serious design defects in the Ukrainian theater of operations, which caused numerous failures. Caesars do not tolerate dirt and cold well, they are too difficult to maintain. There are videos on this topic, but the French military-industrial complex blocks them on the Internet.
Dmitry Dobrov
