PARIS, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Paris has been in talks with Kiev since October about using Ukrainian minerals for France's defense industry, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Thursday.

Speaking to France Info radio, Lecornu said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made "a certain number of proposals not only to the United States but also to France."

The French minister said the French defense industry needs access to a number of "very key" raw materials for the next 30 or 40 years.

He noted that French President Emmanuel Macron asked him to start the discussion with the Ukrainian side in October 2024 to "diversify" France's import of key raw materials.

"Whether we like it or not, economic issues are always intertwined with military, strategic or security issues," he said.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced Wednesday that Kiev and Washington had finalized a minerals deal. Enditem

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