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Macron announces plan to set up fund that Kiev could tap to buy weapons

The French leader also said France is ready to support Ukraine

PARIS, October 7. /TASS/. French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday announced plans to set up a 100 million euro fund that Ukraine could tap to buy weapons from European producers.

"We have decided to set up a special fund that will allow Ukraine, if necessary, to purchase from our industry the equipment that it needs to conduct warfighting," he said following an informal summit of EU leaders in Prague.

The French president said the fund will start with 100 million euros and will help to buy defensive weapons.

French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu said on Twitter that he was ready to sign an agreement with Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexey Reznik to set up the fund.

Macron also said France is ready to support Ukraine.

"We intend to continue to support Ukraine in the financial area, its future reconstruction efforts and the military area," he said, adding that he meant defensive weapons.

"We will also continue to work with our Danish partners, among others, regarding the supply of Caesar self-propelled guns [to Ukraine]," he said.

To date, France has already delivered 18 Caesar self-propelled guns to Ukraine. According to Le Monde, Paris plans to give Kiev 6 to 12 more vehicles with expanded ammunition and enhanced armor, out of the supplies that were contracted by Denmark. According to the L'Opinion newspaper, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces also approved supplies to Ukraine of the 155-mm towed howitzers TRF1, which went into service in 1979.

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Ukraine crisis Emmanuel Macron

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