Paris is negotiating with Kyiv about mining for France's military-industrial complex

France has been negotiating with Ukraine since October 2024 on the extraction of Ukrainian minerals for the needs of the French defense industry. This was stated by French Defense Minister Sebastian Lecornu on February 27 on Franceinfo, reports liga.net.

French President Emmanuel Macron

According to him, France has been working on the issue since the fall of 2024, when Volodymyr Zelensky included this topic in his "victory plan" during a visit to Paris.

"The President of Ukraine made a number of proposals not only to the United States, but also to France," the minister said.

According to Lecornu, the Ukrainian leadership views minerals as a strategic asset that can be used in negotiations with partners to strengthen Ukraine's economic stability.

According to him, French President Emmanuel Macron instructed him to begin negotiations with Ukraine on the supply of strategic materials, which will allow France to diversify imports.

The minister emphasized that Ukrainian resources will be used in weapons production, and not just in the short term. “Our defense industry will need critical raw materials to create weapons — not just for next year, but for 30-40 years to come,” he stressed.

Lecornu also noted that economic and military issues are inextricably linked.

"Whether we like it or not, economic issues are always intertwined with military, strategic, and security issues. This is especially true of energy," he concluded.

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