PolandFrance attempted to exclude the United Kingdom from the EU defense fund SAFE, but this effort backfired, resulting in Paris losing some loans intended for Franco-British defense projects. The European Commission approved only 15.1 billion euros out of the requested 16.2 billion euros for France, partly because certain projects linked to the UK did not meet the strict criteria set by France. One rejected project involved the purchase of missiles produced by the European consortium MBDA, which includes British firm BAE Systems. These missiles are used by Ukraine. The SAFE program was created to fund European defense production due to threats from Russia and reduced US involvement, offering cheaper financing compared to individual countries taking loans. The program requires 65% of funded products to come from the single EU market (including Norway and Iceland) or Ukraine, while contracts from other countries can only be financed up to 35%, unless they have signed a security partnership with the EU and contributed financially. Canada is the only country meeting both conditions. Despite these challenges, France continues to support its qualification criteria for SAFE.
Bias read (Right): The article frames France's exclusion of the UK from SAFE as a strategic move that backfired, highlighting the loss of funding for Franco-British projects. It emphasizes France's push for stricter criteria and the impact on UK-linked projects, suggesting a pro-French stance in EU defense policy.
