War economy to support Ukraine: French defense chief says requisitions on the table to boost output

By Hafsa Alami and Umit Donmez

PARIS (AA) — Nearly two years after remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron on the need for a war economy, Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu affirmed that he "does not exclude" requisitioning personnel, stocks, or production tools.

"France has a meeting with its defense industry, an industry in war-economy mode with faster and stronger production capacity," Macron had said last January.

Lecornu said in a news conference that he aimed give priority to military needs over civilian needs to accelerate production.

He also noted that the law allows the country's defense minister and general delegate for armaments to "say if the account was not there in terms of production rate and deadlines."

His statements come as France has heightened its rhetoric against Russia as it continues waging its war against Ukraine, with President Macron saying Paris "does not rule out sending ground troops" to support Kyiv.

In his remarks, Lecornu cited the 2024-2030 military programming law, which provides that a "threat, current or foreseeable, weighing on activities essential to the life of the nation" can justify the implementation of the country's "international commitments in matters of defense."

On military assistance to Kyiv, he announced that 78 Caesar self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine was completed with French, Ukrainian and Danish funding.

"We have delivered 30,000 shells since the start of the war, and we will be able to achieve the objective of 100,000 shells in 2024, including 20,000 for our armies and 80,000 for Ukraine," Lecornu explained.

France has ordered Aster missiles in January 2023 for €900 million (about $975 million), with their delivery scheduled for 2026. However, these missiles, which previously "were not used" or were only for training purposes, according to the minister, were supplied to Ukraine to defend itself against the Russian attacks.

- France not banning arms exports to Israel

In response to a question by Anadolu on French arms exports to Israel for use in Gaza, Lecornu said France's actions have been "exemplary" in this matter, adding that it has maintained the same policy since fall 2023, when Israel's offensive on the Palestinian enclave began.

Noting that French arms exports to Israel amounted to €15 million ($16.2 million) in 2022, he said the figure for 2023 was not yet clear.

Lecornu explained that France only delivers materials to be re-exported by Israel to third countries, or used for defense purposes by Israel, and are not destined to be used in attacks on Palestinian civilians.

"So, the Iron Dome components will not be subject to a ban since those are strictly defensive materials that are not used in Gaza bombings," he stressed.

The defense chief added that France told Israel directly that no license would be given "for weapons of war that would be used in land operations in Gaza."

France has voiced support for Israel since it began its onslaught on Gaza in early October, with top officials, including President Macron, repeatedly acknowledging the country's "right to defend itself" against the Palestinian group Hamas.

The French leader has also called for a cease-fire in Gaza and urged Israel to allow humanitarian access in the Palestinian enclave.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Palestinian territory since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas which killed nearly 1,200 people.

At least 32,414 Palestinians have since been killed and 74,787 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

On Monday, the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, but Israel rejected it and vowed to continue its war on the Palestinian enclave.

The Israeli war, now in its 172nd day, has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.