Emmanuel Macron is once again proving to be a pacesetter in Franco-German relations.

While the federal government remains reluctant to support Ukraine with tanks, the French president has rushed forward with an announcement.

France wants to supply AMX-10 RC wheeled armored vehicles to Ukraine.

Michael Wiegel

Political correspondent based in Paris.

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The light tank armed with a 105MM gun has proven itself on missions in Africa due to its high mobility.

The French army still has 247 examples of the type of tank designed for a rapid response to a Soviet invasion of West Germany.

Macron has not yet revealed how many tanks France intends to deliver.

The schedule of deliveries is also still unknown.

But it's much more about the signal that Paris sends out at the beginning of a new war year.

Macron stressed that it was the first time that Ukraine received "French-made light main battle tanks".

Behind this is the desire to break down the inhibition threshold for the delivery of western armored systems.

In Paris, attention was paid to how Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) warned against going it alone.

Zelenskyy immediately recognized the importance of the announcement

Shortly before the Franco-German Council of Ministers in Paris on January 22, Macron is obviously concerned with dissolving these (self-)blockades.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy immediately recognized the importance of the announcement.

"This sends a clear signal to all our partners: there is no rational reason why western-style tanks have not been delivered to Ukraine so far," said Zelenskyy.

With the promise, France also covered up the misery of the Leclerc tanks.

Due to the changed threat situation, the French army has relied more on light, mobile tanks for years and saved on the modernization of the Leclerc heavy battle tanks.

Leclerc production ended in 2008.

According to research by defense specialist Jean-Dominique Merchet, only about 226 Leclerc tanks remain operational.

Stocks of spare parts are low.

All of this speaks against delivering Leclerc tanks to Ukraine.

That's why Paris prefers to look to Berlin when it comes to delivering heavy battle tanks to Kyiv.

France wants to help Ukraine "until victory".

Macron has subjected his Russia policy to a general overhaul.

In his New Year's speech, he devoted a significant part to Ukraine's struggle for survival.

He stressed that France would help Ukraine "until victory".

He promised that “we will build a just and strong world together.” In 2022 he had rarely sounded so determined when it came to commenting on the events of the war.

In the background, the fact that Russia is increasingly attacking French interests in Africa may also play a role.

By sending light battle tanks to Ukraine, France also wants to make up for its deficit, which has been lamented in international comparisons.

Paris has long denied that it supplied fewer arms than other Western allies.

The last place did not fit the self-image of a leading military power in the EU.