France is seeking to restrict the use of a €90 billion European Union loan intended for Ukraine, insisting that the funds be spent only on European-made weapons.
French President Emmanuel Macron has argued that EU support for Ukraine should strengthen the European defense industry and promote strategic independence from the United States, according to The Telegraph.
However, Germany and the Netherlands have expressed concerns that such a restriction could delay delivery of critical weapons to defend Kyiv, including U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems.
EU member states and the European Commission are currently negotiating the details of the loan, which was approved by EU leaders in December. The bloc decided to lend the funds directly to Ukraine after failing to reach an agreement on using frozen Russian assets as a “reparations loan.”
A senior EU official told The Telegraph that the planned loan prioritizes rapid delivery of weapons, given that Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no intention of ending the war.
Under the latest plan, two-thirds of the €90 billion loan will go toward supplying weapons to Ukraine, while the remaining funds will cover budget gaps in Ukraine’s war expenditures.
