PARIS (Reuters) – France will use interest from Russian assets to fund another 195 million euros ($211 million) in arms for Ukraine, Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu said a newspaper interview. France also plans to hand over some of its older armoured fighting vehicles, such as its AMX-10RC and personnel carriers, Lecornu told La Tribune […]
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France to tap Russian assets for 195 million euros this year, minister says
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PARIS (Reuters) – France will use interest from Russian assets to fund another 195 million euros ($211 million) in arms for Ukraine, Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu said a newspaper interview.
France also plans to hand over some of its older armoured fighting vehicles, such as its AMX-10RC and personnel carriers, Lecornu told La Tribune weekend newspaper.
“Thanks to interest from frozen Russian assets, we will also tap new funds worth 195 million euros,” Lecornu said, adding that it would be used for 155-mm artillery shells and glide bombs for Mirage 2000 fighter jets France has given Ukraine.
The Group of Seven powers agreed last year to provide Ukraine with $50 billion via a series of bilateral loans that Kyiv could pay off using windfall profits from $300 billion of frozen Russian state assets.
($1 = 0.9232 euros)
(This story has been corrected to fix Sebastien Lecornu’s last name in paragraph 1 and throughout)
(Reporting by Leigh Thomas; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)