France to boost military presence in eastern Europe

France is to strengthen its military presence on NATO's eastern flank in the coming weeks, with the deployment of additional troops and armoured vehicles.

French soldiers land in Constanta, a Black Sea port in eastern Romania. AP

France is to double the number of troops deployed in Romania, sending 350 additional soldiers as well as a dozen armoured vehicles and a dozen Leclerc tanks.

Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu said Russian missile strikes in Ukraine had led the French authorities to raise their “defensive posture” in Romania and the Baltic states.

Rafale fighter aircraft will be deployed in Lithuania, and a hundred additional troops will join the 300 already posted in Estonia.

Costly

The ministry estimates that the French budgetary effort for the reinforcement of NATO's eastern flank will cost nearly €700 million.

The move follows last week’s announcement by President Emmanuel Macron of a €100 million arms fund for Ukraine.

Figures from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy show France is in 11th position for military support to Ukraine with €233 million of aid since the beginning of the year.

Ukraine has received €25 billion from the United States, €4 billion from the United Kingdom, €1.8 billion from Poland and €1.13 billion from Germany.

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