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Politico: France will not buy American weapons for Ukraine, citing need for Europe defense independence
France will not participate in a new initiative allowing European countries to purchase American weapons for Ukraine, according to French officials familiar with the matter, Politico reports.
The decision reflects Paris’s long-standing position that Europeans should strengthen their own defense industrial base through domestic procurement rather than relying on US suppliers.
Trump unveiled a $10 billion NATO-coordinated weapons package, under which the US will sell advanced military equipment, including missiles, artillery shells, and up to 17 Patriot air defense systems, to NATO allies, who will then supply these arms to Ukraine. Europe also considers using profits from nearly €200 billion in frozen Russian assets to help finance the package.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz positioned his country as a central player in the initiative, with Rutte noting that Germany is “massively” invested in the plan, according to Politico. German officials privately claim the initiative originated as a German idea, driven by their assessment that Trump’s stated “disappointment” with Russian President Vladimir Putin created an opportunity for enhanced cooperation.
The procurement arrangement represents what German officials describe as a strategic workaround designed to address Trump’s hesitation about directly increasing military aid to Ukraine.
A German government adviser told Politico the strategy “would enable the US administration to increase the pressure on Russia and strengthen its support for Ukraine, while at the same time allowing it to remain one step behind the Europeans.”
European leaders calculated that Trump, who views international relations through the lens of financial transactions, would be more receptive to weapons transfers if Europeans purchased them, allowing the US to profit from the sales. The approach also provides Trump political cover with isolationist elements within his movement who oppose direct American involvement in Ukraine’s defense.
On 15 July, President Trump announced that the first Patriot air defense missiles destined for Ukraine are already being shipped from Germany with an aim to bolster Ukraine’s air defense capabilities amid intense Russian missile and drone attacks on civilians.
Meanwhile, Rutte identified four Nordic countries along with the United Kingdom and Netherlands as supporting the weapons purchase plan. However, France’s absence from this list reflects broader European divisions over defense procurement strategy.
Two French officials confirmed to Politico that Paris will not join the US weapons buying initiative, citing President Emmanuel Macron’s consistent advocacy for building European defense industrial capacity through local procurement. France’s position is further complicated by budgetary constraints as the government attempts to reduce spending and address its significant deficit.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded positively to the announcement, writing on social media platform X that “we appreciate the readiness to provide additional Patriots, and the US, Germany, and Norway are already working together on this.”
Earlier, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasized the need for the United States to share the financial burden of supplying weapons to Ukraine, pointing out that promising weapons while shifting the cost to others is not true support.
