France: We Plan to Produce Military Equipment in Ukraine

French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Friday that "France aims to encourage some local defense companies to produce military equipment urgently needed by Ukraine on Ukrainian territory to assist the country in its war against Russia." He stated that "three French companies will partner with Ukrainian companies, specifically in the sectors of drones and ground equipment, to produce spare parts on Ukrainian soil and possibly produce ammunition in the future." Lecornu added: "The goal is to operate the first production units this summer." He hinted that the participating companies would include the tank manufacturing company "K.N.D.S," which is the holding company established by the French company Nexter and the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.