French EU minister: Europe needs its own weapons to truly control its security

France is urging European nations to prioritise investment in arms manufacturers on the continent; and move away from US origin arms amid unprecedented spending on defence. 

French EU minister Benjamin Haddad said focusing on a preference for the European defence industry is the “only way for Europe to be autonomous” and in control of its own security. 

Concerns abound that US-origin weapons could be cut off by operators in the US, who could limit or control their usage by European countries. 

 Haddad told Euronews that Europe needs to have control of the technology in order to have complete control of its use. 

If “you have the technological knowhow, you have the control of use”, he told the Europe Conversation on Euronews. 

Haddad pointed to the recent wrangling with Ukraine over the use of long-range missiles fired into Russian territory. 

Up until recently, Ukraine was restricted from using weapons due to prohibitions imposed by US and European weapons donors. As a result, the Ukrainian military complained it was until recently “fighting with one hand behind its back”.

“Look at the debates we had over the long-range missiles sent to Ukraine,” said Haddad. 

‘If you have American components and Americans decide they can’t do deep strikes to be able to defend themselves against Russian targets, they can control the use, even though the European countries who donated the arms have agreed to it,” he said. 

The EU announced a package investment proposal up to €800 billion for European defence in a bid to reinvigorate the European defence industry and provided renewed security for European countries.  

The EU’s Rearm plan also included a €150 billion fund for radars, air defence, missiles and drones.  

France and other countries also believe the money should be circulated within the European economy as a means of reinvesting in European technology and job creation in the EU, as opposed to the US. 

 “Politically you also need to show that trickles down in terms of re-industrialisation, in terms of factories, in terms of jobs, and not that it’s funding defence factories in the Kentucky or Pennsylvania,” he said.