France has clashed with several EU nations over a proposal that would allow Ukraine to use an EU-backed loan to buy British Storm Shadow missiles. Diplomatic sources indicate Paris has consistently pushed for preferential treatment for the EU’s military industry on procurements destined for Kiev.
In December, EU leaders approved a €90 billion ($107 billion) loan to cover Kiev’s military needs and budgetary gap, with spending rules that prioritize EU-made weapons before allowing purchases from outside the bloc. A coalition of 11 capitals has now proposed loosening these rules so Ukraine can more easily buy weapons such as Britain’s long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which are in short supply.
France has emerged as an “obvious opponent” to the plan, diplomatic sources report. The nation is at the center of the EU’s drive for “strategic autonomy” amid concerns about overreliance on U.S. defense following a rift with Washington over its controversial push to acquire Greenland.
Under the current design of the €90 billion loan, spending on weapons would follow a four-layer procurement cascade: Ukrainian producers first, then EU defense firms, followed by partner countries such as the UK, with suppliers outside Europe – including the U.S. – treated as a last resort. Ukrainian officials have reportedly estimated that around €24 billion of equipment this year will have to come from suppliers outside the EU.
A diplomatic source indicated that Britain and its partners aimed to keep the system “open enough for the UK” to ensure that reaching the third layer of the cascade would not be too difficult.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte previously warned that the EU loan should not be constrained by “buy European” rules, while acknowledging that the bloc “cannot fully supply everything Ukraine needs to defend itself today and deter tomorrow.”
Moscow has condemned Western arms supplies as prolonging the conflict, with Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggesting that the €30 billion portion of the EU loan earmarked for Ukraine’s budget support would be embezzled by local officials.