France to raise defense budget by over €6 billion and step up support for Ukraine – Defense Ministry
France, despite economic constraints, plans to increase its defense budget by more than €6 billion and continue strengthening support for Ukraine amid the protracted war and growing threats to European security.
The announcement was made by France’s Armed Forces Minister, Catherine Vautrin, as reported by Censor.NET with reference to Ukrinform.
"Yesterday, at the Council of Ministers meeting, the draft 2026 budget was presented, which includes an additional €6 billion in defense spending. This shows that the proposed budget truly consolidates the commitments announced by the President," Vautrin said, recalling that Emmanuel Macron had unveiled these expenditures on July 13.
According to her, France also intends to discuss with its Ukrainian and German counterparts further mobilization of partners in support of Ukraine and the strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank.
"We can see that despite talk of possible peace negotiations, Russia continues to bomb every day, including critical infrastructure — heating systems and energy sources that allow people to stay warm in winter. We understand the need to mobilize efforts. Likewise, we are witnessing NATO airspace being violated more frequently, which demonstrates the need to adapt our defense," she emphasized.
