Cabinet: France Increases Military Budget by Over 20%

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The French government has increased the country's military budget by more than 20% and will continue modernizing the army, French government spokesman Olivier Veran said on Wednesday.

"We have increased the military budget by over 20%, and we are doing everything to modernize our army," Veran told French media.

The spokesman also said that the French authorities would soon review and adopt a law on military programming, providing for a further budget increase.

Veran rejected the statements suggesting that France weakens the capabilities of its own troops by sending military aid to Ukraine.

"When we supply weapons to our allies, we are not weakening our army, on the contrary, we are strengthening our forces within the European Union. We are not 'undressing' our army at all," the spokesman added.

On February 24, Russia began a military operation in Ukraine responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. Western countries responded by imposing comprehensive sanctions against Moscow while also ramping up their military support for Kiev.

France has already supplied Ukraine with 18 self-propelled 155-mm caliber artillery units Caesar from the army's reserves.