France to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Maintain Howitzers in Ukraine

France will use revenues from frozen Russian assets to fund the maintenance of Caesar howitzers it has delivered to Ukraine, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced Friday during a visit to Lviv, The Gaze reports, citing Le Figaro.

“We will announce shortly that thanks to the mobilization of income from frozen Russian assets, France will be able, through its company KNDS, to ensure the operational maintenance of the Caesar howitzers that France has supplied to Ukraine to withstand Russia’s assaults,” Barrot stated.

This move follows the EU’s decision to channel interest earned from frozen Russian assets into direct support for Kyiv. In June 2024, Franco-German defense company KNDS, the manufacturer of Caesar systems, established a subsidiary in Ukraine and set up a local maintenance center.

France has so far delivered around 60 Caesar self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine. These advanced artillery systems can fire six shells in under a minute with high precision at distances of up to 40 kilometers.

Barrot also emphasized the urgency of pushing Russian President Vladimir Putin toward a ceasefire.

“We want peace, and today the only obstacle to peace is in Moscow — he parades, his name is Vladimir Putin,” Barrot said.

As The Gaze previously reported, on Europe Day, top diplomats gathered in Lviv to express political backing for the establishment of a Special Tribunal to prosecute the crime of aggression committed by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.