France and Italy have declined to join a U.S. led initiative to purchase American weapons for Ukraine, following a similar decision by the Czech Republic, Politico and La Stampa report.
According to two French officials cited by Politico, Paris is struggling to increase its defense spending amid efforts to reduce its massive budget deficit, which stood at €94 billion as of May. President Emmanuel Macron has also emphasized that European nations should prioritize strengthening their own defense industries by purchasing arms from domestic manufacturers. On Tuesday, Macron announced plans to raise France’s defense budget to €64 billion by 2027.
Sources cited by La Stampa say Italy shares the same position, citing budget constraints. “There was never any talk here of buying American weapons,” an Italian Defense Ministry official told the outlet. Italy has already supplied Ukraine with several Samp-T air defense systems, which are based on different technological frameworks.
Earlier, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala confirmed that Prague would not participate in the U.S. arms procurement initiative, instead focusing on alternative forms of support, including ammunition deliveries.