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PARIS, Jan. 30 (AP) – France and Australia announced Monday plans to jointly produce and ship thousands of 155mm artillery shells to Ukraine in the coming weeks.
The multimillion-dollar plan is the latest sign of support for Ukraine from both countries and comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky increasingly calls on Western allies to provide heavy weapons and long-term supplies.
The joint announcement by Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and French Defense Minister Sebastien Le Cornou also appeared aimed at sending a signal that the two countries had overcome their damaging dispute over submarines.
Australia secretly abandoned a US$60 billion French conventional submarine contract in 2021 in favor of a US-UK nuclear-powered submarine deal, seriously damaging France-Australia relations.
The defense ministers said production of the shells for Ukraine would be led by French manufacturer Nexter, in partnership with an Australian manufacturer. They did not provide further details, citing national security concerns.
“I am pleased to announce that Australia and France are working together to provide Ukraine with 155mm ammunition to ensure that Ukraine can stay in this conflict and see it end on its own terms,” Mars said.
Lecornu said they aim to send the first batch of shells in the first quarter of this year, and the project aims to ensure a steady supply of shells to Ukraine over time. (Associated Press)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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