Military support for Kiev is the key to Blinken’s visit to France

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Paris -

The ongoing war on the Gaza Strip and support for Ukraine dominated the discussions held by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in Paris, yesterday, Tuesday, during his meeting with the French Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense before his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

While Blinken stressed the need to increase military production to support Kiev, including ammunition shipments, cyber defense, and industrial production of weapons within Ukraine itself, Washington sees Paris as a “loyal student” who strictly applies the rules of the Atlantic alliance.

This step is considered justified, as US President Joe Biden is expected to visit the French coast of Normandy next June on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the landings, while the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its founding next July in Washington.

Blinken (left) meets French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris (Reuters)

critical time

The US Secretary of State's visit began at the Nexter company's site in Versailles, a subsidiary of the French-German group KNDS, the leading ground defense company at the European level.

While trying to maintain his optimism and pointing to Russia's weakness militarily, economically and diplomatically, Blinken described the Ukrainian war as a "critical moment" and "a near-term challenge that must be faced with the utmost speed."

He expressed his regret about the cessation of the $50 billion aid program allocated to Ukraine after it was banned months ago by the opposition in Congress.

Models of military equipment produced by Nexter at its headquarters in Versailles on the outskirts of Paris (Al Jazeera)

Former French army general François Chauncey believes that the American official knows that implementing the war economy and supporting Ukraine will require many months, “so the United States and its allies are trying to buy time in this critical period, so as not to leave room for Russia to do whatever it wants.”

Chovansy confirmed to Al Jazeera Net that Ukraine has been in a very difficult situation since the fall of Avdiyka, "something that no one expected to happen, and it was a very important turning point in the Ukrainian defense system, and allowed the Russians to advance." He believes that the Ukrainian army is in its final stages and is exhausted due to its exposure to heavy artillery fire and devastating air strikes, as well as a shortage of soldiers.

After the controversy caused by Macron's statements regarding sending forces to Ukraine, political analyst Gerald Olivier believes that Blinken would like to get to know this French position closely to clarify the misunderstanding, in addition to discussing the thorny Gaza issue in the foreign diplomacy of the two countries in light of the continued threat of bombing the city of Rafah.

He explained in his speech to Al Jazeera Net, "Blinken aims to reassure Macron about the American commitment, because American aid constitutes the bulk of the support provided to Ukraine. Since we are 6 months away from the presidential elections, this file is likely to remain stalled."

Unattainable goals

Within the war economy announced by Macron and his Minister of the Armed Forces, Sebastien Le Cornu, a week ago, the French minister revealed for the first time that the production rate of Caesar guns will increase from 6 to 12 per month in the coming period. They are 155 mm self-propelled howitzers, and were used by Ukrainian forces. Widely used for over a year.

LeCorno described the Tsar Cannon as a "symbol of the artillery alliance," praising the work of NATO members to contribute to collective defense and bear common responsibility.

Analyst Olivier criticized this, saying, "France and the rest of the European countries are trying to provide a little military assistance with a certain number of armored vehicles and tanks, especially the famous Caesar guns, without replacing the United States because it is unable to do so."

Blinken (center) and French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu (right) in front of the Tsar Cannon that Paris sends to Ukraine (Al Jazeera)

But the former army general believes that these goals are far-fetched due to the impossibility of obtaining a quick response in the industry, “because manufacturing more ammunition and having factories capable of producing quickly means, on the one hand, the presence of existing production lines, and if they do not exist, they must be installed and the appropriate machinery purchased, as well as On training employees with specific competency.

Chauncey added, "We are facing months, if not years, of preparations to provide the expected aid to Ukraine, and I believe that France's production lines will actually begin producing more ammunition and weapons starting next year."

The French general pointed out that the French minister's announcement a few days ago of the delivery of hundreds of old armored vehicles "is conclusive evidence that we are still relying on our stocks, and we will not be able to provide new equipment in the coming months."

Military personnel believe that France will actually begin producing more ammunition and weapons starting next year (Al Jazeera)

Political messages

On the other hand, international relations specialist Olivier believes that Blinken’s visit came to confirm the strength of the allies in confronting Russia and the unity of the positions of NATO members on the Ukrainian issue despite their differences in opinions, and to send a direct message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that this conflict “is multifaceted and has a regional dimension, and will lead to To Moscow's confrontation with NATO.

In turn, former General François Chauvincy believes that the allies in NATO are seeking to demonstrate their cohesion to Moscow, “but since the results of this alliance will not be achieved overnight, today the United States and its allies are using political communications by presenting a strong message to Putin that the allies are still there.” Kiev side.

Regarding the war on the Gaza Strip, the political analyst confirmed that the Biden administration and the Elysee are “on the same wavelength,” as both parties insist on continuing to officially support Israel and recognize its right to self-defense, but at the same time they are urging it to limit the damage and allow the entry of humanitarian aid and protect Israel. Civilians.

It is clear that Blinken discussed with his French counterpart Stephane Ségournet the situation in the Middle East on a firm common basis centered around the release of detainees. While the French official condemned the Israeli strike that led to the killing of 7 aid workers at the World Central Kitchen organization in Gaza, Blinken contented himself with calling for a “quick and impartial investigation.”

The two ministers also reiterated their concern about the bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus and the risks of regional escalation, especially in Lebanon. The French Foreign Minister held the countries of the region responsible, with the exception of the country leading the war on Gaza, which is Israel.

Source: Al Jazeera