Paris: France will not delegate its security to the US, the country's defense minister said Tuesday. France has a different heritage than other European countries and has never outsourced its security and its armament industries to Washington, unlike the UK, Sebastien Lecornu said in an interview with broadcaster France Inter.

According to Anadolu Agency, Lecornu stated that European countries must make a choice. "The first choice: Will they spend more public finances to defend themselves? The second option: Is this money made to buy more weapons from the US and accelerate this dependence, or on the contrary, to finally ensure a European autonomy framework?" he said. Lecornu expressed agreement with US President Donald Trump that European countries must spend more on defense, and proudly mentioned that Paris would spend £50.5 billion ($52.6 billion) if parliament approves the budget bill. "And we will continue increasing it up to £67 billion," he added.

Lecornu also criticized remarks made by a French European Union official regarding the idea of a possible trade deal with the US. Stephane Sejourne, the French Commissioner responsible for prosperity and industrial strategy and a former French foreign minister, told France Inter on Monday that Europe could not "have a trade war and build European defense at the same time." Lecornu disapproved of this stance and emphasized that Europe and France will not "trade their military security for hamburgers and German cars."

Lecornu insisted that it is necessary to do everything to avoid a trade war and agreed with Sejourne on that point. However, he strongly opposed any notion of bartering between defense and trade, stating, "never ever would we French resolve to that." Donald Trump's re-election as president of the US has stirred Europe, amid economic difficulties and debate over sovereignty. European leaders have started to question their position in the world and discuss policies regarding defense, security, support for Ukraine, trade, and competitiveness.