Ukraine urgently needs ammunition. Germany and France want to help together here. Following recent differences, Foreign Minister Baerbock emphasized the “deep friendship” between the two countries.
Germany and France want to work together to procure ammunition for Ukraine on the world market. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and French department head Stéphane Séjourné agreed on this at a meeting in Paris.
Afterwards, there was good and trusting discussion from delegation circles about how Germany and France could support Ukraine with concrete steps – “for example through the global procurement of ammunition.” The delegations also said it was about how Germany and France could contribute to the European Union's Peace Fund for Ukraine (European Peace Facility). No further details were disclosed.
Together for Ukraine
“United and determined: together we are strong,” wrote Baerbock about the meeting on Platform make.”
Even before the meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country would support the Czech initiative to procure around 800,000 artillery shells for Ukraine in countries outside the EU. Ukraine is currently complaining about a lack of ammunition, which is why the Russian armed forces have repeatedly managed to gain ground, especially on the Eastern Front.
disagreements after Macron's statements
There had recently been differences of opinion between Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Macron with regard to Ukraine and the defense against Russia's war of aggression. At the beginning of last week, Macron caused irritation in the federal government by saying that Western ground troops in Ukraine had not been ruled out for him. Scholz then categorically rejected this and, for his part, ruled out any deployment of the Bundeswehr in Ukraine.
In the morning, Baerbock countered the impression that there was a serious test for relations between Germany and France. “Deep friendship and solidarity are not expressed in the fact that you always agree,” said Baerbock. “If you always agree, then something is wrong.” Rather, deep friendship is expressed in the fact that “when you have different opinions, you continue to pull together because nothing can separate you,” said Baerbock. “And that is the deep friendship of France and Germany.”
