We are left to ourselves: French industrialists struggle to find their place against new Ukrainian defense actors.

Encryption –Several French SME bosses say they are willing to enter into partnerships, but lament the lack of state support, unlike their European neighbors.

In military aid to Ukraine, the French are lagging behind. With the creation of the “Lecornu fund” in 2022, through which Kiev can directly order military equipment from French industrialists, several major groups — because it is mainly for them that this financial mechanism was designed — were initially very present. Since then, they have largely reduced their activities towards Ukraine. Not to mention that Ukrainians today need fewer tanks and Caesar cannons than drones, jammers, armored vehicles, and other ammunition, tailored to the new battlefield. Technologies that start-ups that have spread out in Ukraine — or have redirected their business activities from the civilian sector to the military — are developing themselves, and on which SMEs from Western Europe, including French ones, are also working.

Several European groups have therefore chosen to work with these Ukrainian companies. Some establish an anchorage point…

[Context: The article discusses the challenges faced by French SMEs in establishing partnerships due to lack of state support compared to their European counterparts, particularly in the context of military aid to Ukraine.]
[Fact Check: The article highlights the shift in demand in Ukraine from traditional military equipment to more advanced technologies like drones, jammers, and armored vehicles.]