Paris emphasises the need to bolster EU defence capabilities and beef up the continent’s arms industry ahead of the second European Political Community meeting (EPC).
The meeting scheduled to take place on June 1 in Chisinau, Moldova, is expected to send a symbolic message to Russia which is looking to expand its influence on the breakaway Transnistria region of Moldova.
The EPC meeting will serve as a platform for participating heads of state and government to discuss pressing issues such as security, energy, and connectivity.
The European Political Community, initiated by French President Macron in 2022, is an intergovernmental forum for political and strategic discussions about the future of Europe, established after the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
A total of 47 leaders from the Eurasian region and Scandinavia have been invited to Chisinau.
French diplomatic sources underscore the significance of exploring further avenues of cooperation between EU members and neighbouring countries who are not in the union, on matters such as energy, security and connectivity.
Specifically, EPC discussions are expected to cover cybercrime and safeguarding critical infrastructure, in view of the NordStream attacks.
Furthermore, the sources from France stress the country’s and President Macron’s commitment to play a leading role in European and regional cooperation, involving sending military, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
They say that Russia’s aggression beginning from the 2008 Ossetian crisis, has changed the security architecture of Europe. In response, European countries must act to increase spending and cooperation on defence, as well as expand the EU arms industry.
Regarding European assistance to Ukraine, the sources reveal that the EU has provided over 67 billion euros thus far, with 14 billion euros allocated for military aid. France, in particular, has extended significant support to Ukraine, supplying anti-tank and anti-air missiles, personal protective gear, and firearms since February 2022. France has also played a substantial role in training Ukrainian soldiers.
Moreover, France has taken in around 115,000 refugees from Ukraine, while 20,000 Ukrainian pupils have enrolled in the French education system.
France stands as the second-largest contributor to the European Peace Facility (EPF), an EU foreign policy financial instrument established in 2021 to deliver military equipment to Ukraine following the Russian invasion. The EPF has raised a total of €3.6 billion, with an additional €2 billion added in December 2022. France’s contribution, as of April 15, 2023, amounts to nearly €1 billion, representing 18% of aid to Ukraine via the EPF.
Also, France has allocated €1.2 billion in export financing as part of its participation in Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts. Additionally, French civilian assistance commitments to Ukraine amount to €1.7 billion, with €1.3 billion already disbursed. In terms of humanitarian aid, €259.4 million was raised for Ukraine in 2022 and 2023.
Military aid to Ukraine is sent in a timely manner, taking into consideration not to weaken France’s own defence capabilities, the sources say, highlighting the French government’s plan to increase domestic military spending by more than 100 billion in the coming years.
As a prelude to the EPC meeting, President Macron will visit Slovakia on Wednesday, May 31 to attend the Globsec Bratislava Forum.
This visit too is a message of France’s desire to undertake a leading role in a crucial area for European security.
