French Ambassador Hélène Farnaud-Defromont says France is open to closer defence procurement ties with Canada, even as it advocates for European arms autonomy.
France’s new ambassador to Canada stated that her country is open to working closer with Canada on defence procurement, despite France’s broader push for Europe to develop a fully autonomous arms industry.
French Ambassador Hélène Farnaud-Defromont emphasized that while France advocates for a "European preference in procurement," the goal of complete autonomy is a long-term objective. “The ideal for us would be to achieve 100 per cent European content but, once again, we’re being realistic. We know we’re all going to need a bit of time to reach that goal,” she said in a French-language interview.
The ambassador noted that 65 per cent of the components in each piece of defence equipment France procures are of European origin, a threshold the EU is trying to apply to joint projects. She highlighted that France is the only member state of the European Union today to have retained a comprehensive defence industrial and technological base. “We have some really interesting ideas to put forward and develop together,” Farnaud-Defromont said, suggesting France can help Canada build up its defence base by sharing best practices.
In February, Canada became the first non-European partner in an EU loan program for joint defence projects called Security Action for Europe, or SAFE. The program allows EU countries to access low-interest loans to buy military gear and weapons. It is part of an initiative called ReArm Europe aimed at weaning the continent off its reliance on American weapons.
Much of Canada’s defence industrial base is made up of branches of American corporations. Farnaud-Defromont declined to speculate on how that continental integration might affect Canada’s participation in SAFE. However, she welcomed Canada’s involvement. “The fact that Canada has joined SAFE, I think that’s a very good thing,” she said. “We now need to see things come to fruition. We need this partnership to actually take shape.”
France has historically maintained a degree of autonomy within NATO, having pulled out of the alliance’s command structure for most of the Cold War. The country has long advocated for a European pillar within NATO and the EU. “We are by no means pleased with the situation within NATO, which is, to say the least, very confused,” Farnaud-Defromont said.
Kerry Buck, a former Canadian ambassador to NATO, has warned that Ottawa would be less safe if the alliance turned its focus more to the defence of Europe. “Canada had long resisted the creation of a European pillar within NATO for fear of being sidelined, and because we didn’t want the EU exercising ‘strategic autonomy’ in decision-making, or otherwise competing with NATO,” she wrote in a June, 2025 commentary in Policy Magazine.
The diplomatic stance highlights the tension between Canada’s deep industrial integration with the United States and France’s strategic goal of European sovereignty. As Canada participates in EU-led defence financing through SAFE, the extent to which it can align with European procurement standards while maintaining its North American supply chains remains a complex diplomatic and industrial challenge.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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