French intelligence now makes up two-thirds of Ukraine’s needs, says Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that France is now supplying roughly two-thirds of the intelligence shared with Ukraine, largely stepping into a role previously filled by the United States, which until last year had provided most of that support.

In March 2025, Washington decided to halt intelligence-sharing with Kyiv as part of a broader effort to increase pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to engage with President Donald Trump’s push for peace talks with Russia, following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Since then, ties between the two sides have fluctuated, although there has been no sign that the United States has sharply reduced the intelligence assistance it provides to Ukraine.

More from World

Foreign student enrolment falls at US universities for first time in years Uganda presidential election: Voting begins amid internet shutdown, complaints of polling delays

Speaking during a New Year address to France’s armed forces, Macron also highlighted Europe’s role over the past two years in assuming responsibility for key elements of military support to Ukraine.

He said a coalition of some 35 countries was now providing all of the support, including financial, to Kyiv after Washington had decided to no longer fund or directly give weapons to Ukraine.

”Where Ukraine was extremely dependent on American intelligence capacity, huge majority (of it) a year ago, in (the space of) a year, two-thirds is today provided by France,” Macron said.

Quick Reads

View All

Nepali Congress breaks up, rebel faction claims majority and declares Gagan Thapa new president

India preparing to evacuate citizens stranded in Iran as protests continue, security concerns spike

The comments are in contrast to Kyrylo Budanov, who was appointed head of Zelenskiy’s office and is the former chief of Ukraine’s military intelligence, who said in December that Kyiv was critically dependent on Washington for intelligence ranging from satellite imagery to early warning systems after ballistic missile launches.

Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency declined to comment.

A French defence ministry official declined to comment specifically on the president’s assertions, but said much of the intelligence was of technical origin.

When Washington suspended intelligence in 2025, France’s then Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the U.S. halt to intelligence sharing would have a significant operational impact on Ukraine, but that France’s own intelligence provided to Kyiv was not reliant on Washington.

With inputs from agencies