Paris confirms strong interest in Ukraine arms co-production
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on July 21 that French defense companies are eager to establish joint production with Ukrainian counterparts, with a particular focus on drone manufacturing.
"From the French side, there is such great interest and desire to cooperate with Ukrainian drone manufacturers," Barrot said at a press conference in Kyiv alongside Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. "From my conversations with some leaders of these (Ukrainian) companies, I felt that interest is also on the other side."
France’s foreign minister highlighted a key recent development, noting that representatives from 80 French defense companies visited Ukraine last week, holding around 200 meetings with their Ukrainian counterparts. Barrot said the large-scale engagement "reflects the shared intention to speed up cooperation and launch joint production of weapons and drones in Ukraine."
This push for joint production follows recent reports of specific initiatives already in the works.
In June, France Info revealed that French automaker Renault, in partnership with a small and medium-sized defense enterprise, plans to launch drone production in Ukraine. The collaboration would see Renault equipping production lines on Ukrainian territory, with the drones intended for use by both Ukrainian and French military forces, marking a significant crossover between the automotive and defense sectors.
While the French Defense Ministry declined to comment on Renault specifically, Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu confirmed on June 6 that a major French car manufacturer would indeed join forces with a defense SME to launch drone production in Ukraine.
Speaking to Le Monde, Lecornu did not name the automaker but lauded the project as an "unprecedented partnership." When contacted by France Info, Renault confirmed government contact but added that "no decision has been taken at this stage."
The drone production is planned to occur away from front-line areas, though the exact locations remain undisclosed. Lecornu emphasized that Ukrainians would handle the assembly, acknowledging their strong expertise in drone development and combat deployment strategies.
