France has refused to join an initiative proposed by former US President Donald Trump, which involves the purchase of American weapons by European allies with the aim of their subsequent transfer to Ukraine, Politico reports.
French officials explained that France's refusal is related to its desire to develop its own defense-industrial base. President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly stressed that Europeans should build defense capabilities through domestic purchases, including from national manufacturers.
France, which is not included in the list of six countries supporting the American initiative (among them are the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and four Nordic countries), remains aloof from the new format of military assistance to Ukraine.
The French government is simultaneously pursuing a policy of optimizing budget expenditures and containing the state deficit, against the backdrop of which an increase in the defense budget is already a significant burden.
The German government, on the contrary, supports the initiative to purchase American weapons, considering it one of the most effective ways to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities — taking into account the limited capabilities of European manufacturers in the short term.
The Czech Republic has a similar position to France. The government in Prague does not plan to participate in Trump's initiative, instead focusing on alternative assistance projects for Ukraine, in particular through the ammunition supply initiative.
