France opts out of U.S. weapons purchase for Ukraine
July 16, 2025
France refuses to join the initiative to buy US weapons for Ukraine (Photo: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier)
France will not participate in the initiative to procure American weapons for Ukraine, prioritizing increased defense spending to curb its substantial budget deficit, Politico reported on July 15.
French President Emmanuel Macron has long advocated for Europeans to develop their own defense-industrial base through local procurement, the report noted.
Meanwhile, Politico stated that supplying American weapons to Ukraine provides U.S. President Donald Trump with “cover” for his actions.
“The strategy would enable the U.S. 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,” a German official advising Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Berlin.
This approach also enables Trump to maintain what the official described as a degree of “equidistance that may have characterized the first months of the Trump administration from an American perspective.”
However, given the limited European production capacities, Merz’s government believes purchasing American weapons is one of the few ways to quickly provide Ukraine with necessary armaments.
Politico reported that details on specific weapon purchases remain scarce, but amid intense Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, Germany is particularly pushing for a deal to acquire U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems.
On July 14, Trump announced that the United States and NATO had reached an agreement to supply weapons to Ukraine. He said the United States would produce “the best weapons in the world” and sell them to NATO, which would coordinate their delivery to Ukraine.
Trump added that the deal would provide Ukraine with billions of dollars in weapons. He expressed strong dissatisfaction with Russia and threatened 100% tariffs if a peace agreement with Ukraine is not reached within 50 days.
The U.S. president also noted that some countries with Patriot air defense systems may soon transfer them to Ukraine, with one country potentially providing 17 Patriot systems.