France ramps up military support for Ukraine with 78 howitzers and increased ammunition
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced that Paris would soon supply Kyiv with 78 self-propelled Caesar howitzers and increase ammunition deliveries to meet Ukraine's urgent needs.
2:04 PM EDT, March 27, 2024
During a press conference, Sebastien Lecornu revealed that France, Ukraine, and Denmark have agreed to finance the delivery of the self-propelled 155 mm Caesar howitzers, enabling Paris "to deliver them quickly."
He further stated that France plans to provide Ukraine with 80,000 pieces of 155 mm caliber gun ammunition this year, significantly more than the 30,000 pieces provided since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Lecornu also mentioned that France is actively searching for existing stocks of gunpowder and ammunition, which could be acquired from countries outside the European Union as part of the Czech initiative.
Moreover, Lecornu emphasized the need for European countries to lessen their dependence on the United States to ensure security on the continent.
"It's absolutely necessary. I think it's incorrect for American taxpayers to bear so much of the cost for Europeans' security," stated the French Defense Minister.
French Minister of Agriculture discusses support for Ukraine
Appearing on the program "8h30 Franceinfo," the French Minister of Agriculture discussed the agreement reached by EU Member States and the European Parliament to limit duty exemptions for certain Ukrainian agricultural products. As of March 20, oats, corn, groats, and honey were included in the list of Ukrainian agricultural goods with quantitative limitations.
"This was not the stance that France advocated. It's undoubtedly a gesture of solidarity, but it shouldn't come at the cost of significantly destabilizing the market. We will continue to work on this," declared Marc Fesneau.
