Franco-German tank producer KNDS confirms to open plant in Ukraine

5 months ago 31

Franco-German armoured vehicle manufacturer KNDS is to open its first factory on Ukrainian soil, the French Elysee Palace has confirmed, with details to be worked out between President Emmanuel Macron and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy when they meet at the Normandy landings commemorations on Thursday.

In March, French and German defence ministers Sébastien Lecornu and Boris Pistorius presented a plan to produce spare parts and ammunition in Ukraine, including opening a KNDS subsidiary in the country.

“A meeting will also be organised on 7 June with French defence industrialists,” the Elysée said, “to ensure that cooperation between the two countries is strengthened”.

“All our actions are based on the conference held in Paris on 26 February, which identified several lines of action to support Ukraine,” the Élysée added.

Some 30 European and North American leaders and ministers met at the invitation of the French leader to discuss aid to Ukraine, and agreed that more should be done about Ukrainian artillery and weapons production.

Macron will also announce the creation of a branch of the French Development Agency (AFD) in Ukraine, with a budget of €400 million in loans and €50 million in grants for 2024-2027. This sum will support Ukrainian local authorities in the fields of energy, transport, and administrative capacity.

A critical infrastructure fund will also be set up with €200 million in donations to support French companies bidding for contracts in Ukraine.

However, the Élysée did not comment on the possibility of sending military instructors to Ukraine.

The announcements coincide with three days of commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy, which will be attended by Zelenskyy, on his fourth visit to France since the Russian invasion, and other world leaders.

The Ukrainian leader is also expected to give a speech before the French National Assembly on Friday, a move that has been strongly criticised by all opposition political parties, two days before the European elections.

According to the Elysée, no official meeting is planned “for the moment” between Zelenskyy and US President Joe Biden, who arrived in France on 5 June, but informal exchanges could take place.

The commemorations will be followed by Biden’s first-ever official State visit to France on Saturday.

(Laurent Geslin | Euractiv.fr)