France is planning to have some of its arms manufacturers produce much-needed military equipment directly on Ukrainian soil to help the country in its war against Russia, Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Friday.
"Three French companies will be setting up partnerships with Ukrainian companies, in particular in the drone and land equipment sectors, to produce spare parts on Ukrainian soil, and perhaps ammunition in the future," he said.
"The idea is to have the first production units running this summer," Lecornu added.
He hinted the companies involved would include tank maker KNDS, the holding structure formed by France's Nexter and Germany's Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann.
The announcement came a day after President Emmanuel Macron said France would not rule out any option to support Ukraine two years into Russia's invasion, according to the leaders of several major French political parties.
Speaking after the two-and-a-half-hour meeting, the party chiefs said the talks with Macron left them concerned. Some accused him of using the conflict to boost his coalition's standing ahead of crucial European elections this summer.
The president last week stunned many in Europe by refusing to rule out the dispatch of Western ground troops to Ukraine, pointing to Russia's hardening stance.
Earlier this week Macron urged Ukraine's allies not to be "cowards" in supporting the ex-Soviet country to fight off the Russian invasion.
Some party leaders on Thursday said Macron advocated a "no limits" approach to counter Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Weighing in from Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that Macron "continues to raise the level of France's direct involvement" in the Ukraine war.
'One day it will be your soldiers' turn'
France's parliament will have a chance to vote on the country's Ukraine strategy, including a bilateral security treaty signed with Kyiv last month.
Debates and non-binding votes will take place next Tuesday in the National Assembly lower house and in the Senate upper house on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Macron also met Moldovan President Maia Sandu, pledging France's "unwavering support" for her ex-Soviet country as tensions mount between Chisinau and pro-Russian separatists.
During the meeting the two signed a bilateral defence deal, as well as an "economic roadmap", although no details were provided.
France also hosted a video conference of 28 countries including Ukraine to follow up on the initiatives discussed at an international Ukraine summit hosted by Macron last week.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba was among those attending.
"Ukraine has never asked for... foreign troops to fight by its side," he wrote in Le Monde newspaper on Thursday. "We have always had faith in our own fighters."
But "Ukraine needs more artillery munitions and long-range missiles," he added.
"It needs Patriot air-defence systems... installations to faster repair its military vehicles... training for its soldiers on bases inside Ukraine."
Otherwise, he said, "one day it will be your soldiers' turn".
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)
