The governments of Ukraine and France signed a bilateral agreement on security cooperation
17 February, 2024 Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron. Photo credits: Office of the President. The governments of Ukraine and France signed a bilateral agreement on security cooperation, which provides for the allocation of EUR3 billion in military aid during 2024.
Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, disclosed the details of the deal on his Facebook page. In general, the agreement provides Ukraine with security assistance and modern military equipment, across the land, air, sea, space and cyber domains. Air defense, artillery, long-range weapons, armored vehicles, increasing the capabilities of the Air Force and other key capabilities are defined as priorities for military aid.
Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron.
Photo credits: Office of the President.
France has pledged to promote the development of the Ukrainian defense industry, in particular by attracting French investment, localizing production in Ukraine, and joint production for the manufacture of priority weapons and ammunition. In addition, the French and Ukrainian governments will coordinate and strengthen joint efforts to support Ukraine's accession to NATO. Paris reaffirms that Ukraine's upcoming accession to NATO will contribute to peace and stability throughout Europe.
Specific provisions of the bilateral agreement are devoted to cooperation in information and cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection, intelligence and counterintelligence cooperation, and countering organized crime. As with other partner countries, the governments have established a mechanism for emergency consultations and appropriate response within 24 hours in the event of a possible future armed attack by Russia.
Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron. Photo credits: Office of the President.
Two countries agreed on a mechanism for compensation for damages caused by Russian aggression, the use of frozen Russian assets, and certain sanctions that provide for sanctions not only against Russia but also against other aggressor states.
At the end of January, Militarnyi reported that France delivered an additional number of LRU multiple launch rocket systems.
As part of this coalition, France handed over two additional LRU multiple launch rocket systems to Ukraine, bringing the total number of French systems to six.
Like the U.S. version, the LRU can use GMLRS high-precision rockets that provide it with unmatched accuracy and a range of up to 80 km.