“I wish you a happy new year, although this wish risks not being fulfilled,” began Cédric Perrin, president of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Commission and senator for the Territory of Belfort (LR).
The tone is set at the presentation of a report titled “Why the future of Europe is at stake in Ukraine” after a trip to Poland and Ukraine with other French senators in December. Cédric Perrin regrets that Emmanuel Macron’s promises for 2022 are not fulfilled. He made several proposals to the government to change course, not only in the interests of Ukraine, but also in that of Europe.
40 scalps and “hundreds of bombs”
According to Cédric Perrin, current French production, 20,000 155 mm shells per year, would only cover three to four days of combat.
Cédric Perrin reacted to the announcements made yesterday by Emmanuel Macron during his television intervention. The head of state revealed that France will deliver 40 new long-range Scalp missiles to Ukraine, as well as “hundreds of bombs.”
Regarding the “hundreds of bombs”, the senator wonders about the calibers that will be supplied.
Due to a lack of French ammunition, the Ukrainian gunners would use Korean shells to load the Caesar guns, at the risk of prematurely damaging the guns.
Industrialists want orders
The Senate committee points out that, despite the Government’s statements, “the volumes of ammunition acquisition will continue to be similar in the coming years to the averages observed in previous years for artillery ammunition. This places France dangerously out of step with their partners”.
The senators recall that the United States has multiplied its production of artillery ammunition six-fold, the United Kingdom has awarded several important contracts to its manufacturers and Germany has ordered 150,000 artillery ammunition from Rheinmetall. For France, the pace is not advancing as a war economy should require.
Western components in Russia
Faced with this ammunition shortage, Ukrainians are surprised that Russia can still have access to Western electronic components and call for “strengthening controls on the export of these strategic components.” The same goes for Iran.
The commission recommends that the government explain to the French the true problems of the conflict. He believes that “they go beyond territorial issues and seek to question our European model of democratic society.”
Source: BFM TV
