Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday signed a letter of intent to purchase up to 100 Rafale warplanes, drones, air defence systems and other equipment from France over the next 10 years, as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s long-term security.
Zelenskyy said the document represented “a historic deal” at a joint news conference with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, at the Élysée presidential palace.
“Firstly, Ukraine will be able to receive 100 Rafale fighter jets (and) very strong French radars — eight air-defence systems SAMP/T, each with six launching systems,” Zelenskyy said.
In turn, Macron praised what he said was “a new step forward” in the relationship between the two countries. According to the French leader, Monday’s agreement includes France’s latest-generation jet fighters with full armament, as well as accompanying training and production programmes.
The letter of intent also includes the purchase of drones and drone interceptors, guided bombs and the next-generation SAMP/T ground-to-air systems, with first deliveries expected over the next three years.
How important is the Rafale?
The Rafale is France’s most advanced fighter jet, a high-tech, delta-winged, multi-role warplane known for its manoeuvrability and efficiency. It has been deployed in the country’s foreign military operations including in the Middle East and Africa, and comes at a cost estimated at over €85 million per aircraft.
The chief of the French defence staff, Air Force General Fabien Mandon, this month told French senators that the European-made SAMP/T that France provided to Ukraine are proving more effective than US-made Patriot batteries against hard-to-hit Russian missiles.
No schedule was provided for the delivery of the first Rafales. A French government official said training a Rafale pilot takes at least three years.
The official, who was not authorised to speak publicly on the issue, said France can produce and accelerate the production of Rafales and will not need to use the warplanes currently in service with the French military to supply Ukraine. The official said the agreement with Ukraine will not derail the delivery of Rafales to other foreign clients.
The plane manufacturer, Dassault Aviation, has sold more than 500 Rafales, including more than 300 for export to countries including Egypt, India, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia and Indonesia.
Another hard winter ahead
On his ninth visit to Paris since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Zelenskyy is seeking to strengthen Ukraine’s defences as the country enters another winter under Russian bombardment of its energy infrastructure and other targets.
On Saturday, Zelenskyy once again called on his allies to supply Ukraine with more air defence systems following particularly deadly Russian strikes on Kyiv.
“Ukraine needs support to save lives: more air defence systems, more protection capabilities and greater determination on the part of our partners. This is the only way to put an end to Russian terror and guarantee Ukrainian families the fundamental right to security in their own homes,” he wrote on X.
Last month, Ukraine and Sweden signed an agreement exploring the possibility of Ukraine buying up to 150 Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets over the next decade or more. Ukraine has already received American-made F-16s and French Mirages.
“I can tell you that this is a very serious fleet that we are building for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.
“For example, those pilots who have practice with Mirage jets, we know it very well that they will not spend a year to learn operating the future Rafale planes, they will instead quickly switch to them.”
At the end of October, Macron announced the imminent delivery to Kyiv of anti-aircraft missiles for the SAMP-T, as well as new Mirage 2000 fighter jets, three of which have already been delivered to Ukraine.
Multinational Force Ukraine visit
Monday’s meeting between the two leaders began at Villacoublay military airbase, south-west of Paris, where Zelenskyy was presented with the French Rafale fighter jet, state-of-the-art drones and the new model of the SAMP-T air defence system.
On Monday afternoon, the two presidents took part in a Franco-Ukrainian drone forum at the Élysée Palace, which aims to bring together and strengthen cooperation with all players in this ecosystem, from industry to finance.
Ukrainian drones are responsible for 70% of the destruction of Russian equipment on the frontline and are used to shoot down the Shahed drones, which Moscow launches by the thousands to target the country’s civilian, military and energy infrastructures.
Since the start of the war, Ukraine has developed a vast drone production network spread over a wide area in undisclosed locations and intends to use more than 4.5 million drones this year.
Macron and Zelenskyy also headed to Mont Valérien, west of Paris, to visit the headquarters of the Multinational Force Ukraine, dubbed the “Coalition of the Willing” that France and Britain have been preparing with more than 30 other nations to deploy to Ukraine to police an eventual ceasefire.
French officials say the force could be deployed immediately after a ceasefire and would be stationed away from the front lines in an effort to help dissuade renewed Russian attacks. Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far rejected calls for a ceasefire as his troops make creeping gains on the battlefield.
The coalition of countries, most of them European, last met in London on 24 October. For months it has been preparing a series of security guarantees, including support for the Ukrainian army and land, sea and air resources.
The Élysée claims that this headquarters is operational and is already capable of deploying a force the day after a ceasefire.
Financing questions
No details were provided on Monday about the financing of the defence package for Ukraine. Kyiv is pushing to use money from Russia’s frozen assets to pay for the weapons, but the European Union has not yet agreed to it.
“I believe that in the end we will reach an agreement to push this topic to the end and be able to use Russian assets for the European defence package, for Ukrainian production, and for the most part for the air defence systems from the United States of America,” Zelenskyy said.
Zelensky made a stop in Greece on Sunday to sign an agreement to supply Ukraine with US liquefied natural gas, and is due to travel to Spain on Tuesday.
