Nov. 17 (UPI) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a deal Monday to buy 100 French-made advanced fighter jets over the next decade as part of a Ukraine-France defense cooperation agreement.
Zelensky’s office said he and French President Emmanuel Macron signed a declaration of intent at Villacoublay airbase near Paris in “a truly historic” breakthrough in Ukraine’s bid to secure advanced defense equipment.
Standing alongside Zelensky at a news conference, Macron said the two countries were putting in place the security guarantees required for any possible peace agreement with Russia that may be negotiated down the line.
A strong Ukrainian military was absolutely critical to ensuring the country’s long-term security, said Macron.
The deal is for Ukraine to purchase 100 Rafale F4 for Ukrainian air combat units by 2035, a new generation version still under development of a Franco-Italian surface-to-air missile defense system called SAMP/T, air defense radar, air-to-air missiles and aerial bombs.
The Rafale F4, built by France’s Dassault Aviation, is a twin-engined multi-role fighter. It is one of the most advanced available in Europe, bridging the gap between the older fourth-generation variant and the latest fifth-generation Rafale.
Macron said Ukraine would be first in line to receive the new next generation of SAMP/T missile batteries as soon as it was ready for deployment.
“Ukraine already knows the characteristics of this system, but now these will be new, enhanced characteristics,” Macron said, referencing a current version delivered to Ukraine in 2023.
Zelensky said the defense industries of the two countries would also work together on drones, in particular, to develop interceptor drones.
“Also, joint projects between our defense industries will begin this year: we will jointly produce interceptor drones, work on the development of critical technologies and components that can be integrated into Ukrainian drones,” Zelenskyy added.
Interceptor drones as the name suggests, are a cost-effective and safer way to counter bomber and attack drones that disable their target by ramming, rather than using explosives.
The agreement came days after Macron said he would meet Zelensky for bilateral talks on cooperating in the areas of “energy, economic and defense,” as part of the structure created by the so-called “Coalition of the Willing.”
