"In recent days, France has sent Ukraine more arms, rocket launchers, Crotale (air defence batteries), equipment beyond what we had already done," Macron told France's TF1 and LCI television.

He was speaking aboard the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle off Egypt's coast, a day before visiting Jordan for a regional summit on Tuesday.

"We are also working with the armed forces minister (Sebastien Lecornu) to be able to deliver useful arms and ammunition again in the first quarter (of 2023), so that the Ukrainians would be able to defend themselves against bombardments," said Macron.

The planned shipments include new Caesar mobile artillery units, but Macron provided no precise figures.

The president said the number "will depend" on the outcome of ongoing discussions with Denmark, which had ordered the Caesar guns from France and may agree to give at least some of them to Kyiv.

Since Russia's invasion in February, France has sent Ukraine 18 Caesar units, a 155-mm howitzer mounted on a six-wheeled truck chassis, capable of firing shells at ranges of more than 40 kilometres (25 miles).

Paris has also delivered anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles as well as armoured personnel carriers.

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TF1 - TELEVISION FRANCAISE 1