Rankings published by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy show that France's 233 million euros of military aid to Ukraine place it 11th in the world, well behind the US (25 billion euros), Britain (4 billion euros) and Poland (1.8 billion euros). Paris says weak manufacturing capacity rather than a lack of political will is the root of the problem.
The rankings "don't fully reflect reality", the Defence Ministry told the AFP news agency, because they "take into account what has been promised, rather than what has actually been delivered".
To add to the confusion, some countries report only arms deliveries as military aid, while others include training and the cost of transporting ammunition.
Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu this week praised Paris' "relative discretion" in aiding Kyiv, saying that "France has been supporting Ukraine since the beginning".
Publicly known shipments include anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, armoured personnel carriers, fuel, protective clothing for infantry, and towed artillery cannons.
France has also sent 18 of its prized truck-mounted Caesar cannon, which are able to set up, fire a highly accurate volley at ranges of up to 40 kilometres and shift position before the enemy can locate them and fire back.
President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday at a European gathering in Prague that France plans to deliver more of the mobile artillery pieces.
We need the weapons for our own protection
Sylvie Matelly, deputy director of France's Institute for International and Strategic Studies (IRIS) has warned that "the weapons we have here ready to use are the weapons supposed to ensure our national defence.
"If we give them away, if we tap into our reserves, we're causing big headaches for ourselves," she added.
The 18 Caesar systems already delivered to Kyiv constitute a quarter of the French fleet of the mobile artillery platforms.
"It's not a lack of political will, perhaps it's political prudence about our own security, our own defence."
Several high-ranking French officers have said that, although Paris has boosted military spending in recent years, with the total set to reach 44 billion euros in 2023, national stocks of equipment remain limited.
Washington "has less need of weapons to defend its national territory," Matelly adds.
Six billion euros needed, two billion agreed
Modern military hardware is complex and difficult to manufacture, especially when there are supply chain problems and a general penury of crucial raw materials.
Sylvie Matelly says that simply committing more cash is not an answer.
A French parliamentary report published in February found that six billion euros would be needed to replenish France's arsenals, well above the 2 billion announced this week as total spending for 2023.
Macron has been pushing for greater defence integration among EU nations to limit the duplication of effort between member states' armed forces and arms industries.
