“France’s assistance should not always be measured in monetary terms. This country is an important strategic partner of Ukraine and provides significant political and diplomatic support to Kyiv. President Macron’s leadership in supporting Ukraine is invaluable. And money is not the decisive factor here.”

Leonid Litra, Senior Research Fellow at the New Europe Center, comments for hromadske on whether the change of government in France will affect aid to Ukraine. In particular, he discusses whether military programs will continue, given that the budget approval process is underway and political consensus in parliament is lacking.

It is quite likely that the budget will be adopted by the end of this year, but it is unlikely that spending cuts, including aid to Ukraine, will be avoided, Litra noted in his commentary.

According to the expert, defense cooperation is beneficial for both countries. “The French defense industry receives orders for ammunition production, Caesar artillery systems, and so on. Suspending such cooperation due to lack of funding would be not only anti-Ukrainian but also anti-French. The opposition cannot oppose French companies supplying weapons to Ukraine and earning money. Therefore, the risks of cutting military aid exist, but there is currently no threat of France ceasing support for Ukraine despite the political crisis and economic challenges”, Leonid Litra said.

More details in the article via the link (in Ukrainian).