It is an embarrassing revelation in the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and as civilians have paid a heavy price since the beginning of the conflict.

France delivered military equipment to Russia after the annexation of Crimea in 2014 until 2020, revealed on Monday March 14, the online media Disclose, which relied on documents classified as “confidential -defense” and open sources.

However, as of August 1, 2014, the European Union imposed an embargo on the export of arms to Russia in reaction to the war waged in Donbass and the annexation of Crimea.

But according to Disclose, François Hollande then Emmanuel Macron took advantage of “a breach in the European embargo”, the latter not being retroactive.

Clearly, these sales are legal because they are based on contracts that predate the European sanctions.

“France has allowed the execution of certain contracts signed since 2014 under the so-called “grandfather” clause [the conditions of the old law apply to those who already benefited from it, Ed].

A contract concluded before the annexation of Crimea can come to an end, and deliveries of equipment purchased before July 2014 can be continued.

This possibility is clearly provided for by the sanctions regime put in place against Russia in 2014”, Hervé Grandjean, the spokesperson for the Ministry of the Armed Forces, justified on Monday.

France has allowed the execution of certain contracts signed since 2014 under the so-called "grandfather" clause ➡️ a contract concluded before the annexation of Crimea can come to an end, and deliveries of equipment purchased before July 2014 can be continued.

– Spokesperson for the Ministry of the Armed Forces (@HerveGrandjean) March 14, 2022

"The government does not deny our revelations, but at the same time it does not explain why it maintained its arms sales to Russia while Russian planes were bombing civilians in Syria, which Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and that the risk of military escalation was there”, notes to France 24 the journalist Ariane Lavrilleux, co-author of the investigation.

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Thermal cameras and navigation systems

In 2015, former head of state François Hollande canceled the sale of two Mistral helicopter carriers to Moscow, under pressure from the Americans, but without ending discreet arms deliveries to Russia.

According to Disclose, France has notably continued to supply Russia with thermal cameras to equip armored vehicles currently used by the Russian army in the war in Ukraine, but also navigation systems and infrared detectors for fighter planes. and helicopters.

“This equipment installed on combat helicopters, bombers, tanks is used today against civilians in the conflict in Ukraine”, assures Ariane Lavrilleux.

According to the investigative journalist, France is thus in contradiction with the European common position of 2008 which commits the member countries to “not to export armaments if this risks aggravating or prolonging a conflict”.

“It is never pleasant to know that our equipment can be used in war zones”, recognizes the deputy LREM Jacques Maire, joined by France 24. “However, France respects the rule of law and the sanctions decided at the European and international level.

However, if this contract is not in contradiction with these sanctions, it must be honoured”, considers this specialist in defense issues, author of a parliamentary report on the control of arms exports.

>> 2021 report on French arms sales: a more sensitive file than ever

In all, France has reportedly issued at least 76 export licenses for war material to Russia since 2015 for a total amount of 152 million euros, mainly for the benefit of Safran and Thalès, two pillars of the French military industry. armaments, of which the French State is the leading shareholder.

However, these arms exports to Russia have dropped significantly over the years.

From 80 million euros in 2014, the amount of equipment deliveries rose to 5.5 million in 2018 and only 300,000 euros in 2020, according to the report of the Ministry of the Armed Forces given each year to parliamentarians.

Conversely, arms sales to Ukraine have soared from zero in 2015 to 97 million euros in 2020, reports the newspaper Le Monde.

Transparent but not too much

The French arms industry is regularly criticized for its support for regimes accused of violating human rights such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, one of France's main customers.

Even if they concern, this time, only a small volume of military equipment, these new revelations demonstrate the absence of public debate and the opacity of the procedures supposed to validate these exports.

In France, the control of arms sales remains the prerogative of the executive via the interministerial commission for the study of war material exports (CIEEMG), which brings together several representatives of the ministries of Defence, Foreign Affairs, Economy and Intelligence Services, under the authority of the Prime Minister.

The deliberations of this commission are secret and it is impossible to know why it refused or gave its agreement to certain arms deliveries.

For its part, the control of Parliament is limited to the minimum portion, the deputies having to be satisfied with an annual report transmitted by the Ministry of the Armed Forces.

The latter lists the contracts signed, the amount of transactions by country, the licenses issued but remains silent on the type of equipment delivered.

“It's a political choice that is not explained to either the deputies or the citizens”, assures Ariane Lavrilleux.

“Did we hide from the French population that we sold arms to Russia until 2020?

The answer is no'', says Jacques Maire.

“On the other hand, can we do better in terms of parliamentary involvement and control? The answer is yes and the government has agreed to give parliamentarians this possibility”.

The Prime Minister, Jean Castex, indeed published a decree last year paving the way for the creation of a commission dedicated to the control of arms sales.

But this new body, which was to publish this year a counter-report to that of the Ministry of the Armed Forces, has still not seen the light of day.

“It was a period in which it was necessary to manage the pandemic and many other things and this question was not considered a priority”, regrets Jacques Maire.

“But the government's offer is there and it is now up to Parliament to open this project in the new legislature”.

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