Kyiv looks to beef up air force.
PARIS — France plans to arm Ukraine with as many as 100 advanced Rafale fighter jets, the leaders of the two countries said Monday.
Kyiv’s commitment to purchase the Rafales was included in a letter of intent signed by French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy upon the latter’s arrival at Villacoublay military airport near Paris. The deliveries are projected to be made over the next 10 years, Zelenskyy said in a statement.
Monday’s deal is the latest attempt by Ukraine to beef up its aerial fighting capabilities, having signed a letter of intent last month exploring a similar fighter jet deal with Sweden. The pact with France also lays the groundwork for Kyiv to acquire SAMP-T air defense systems, radars for air defense systems, air-to-air missiles and aerial bombs, Zelenskyy said.
“This is a new step,” said Macron at a news conference alongside the Ukrainian leader. “This agreement reflects France’s will to place its defense sector at the service of Ukraine’s and Europe’s security.”
Zelenskyy called the agreement “historic” and said his country “valued France’s support.”
While the new jets provide a potential boost for Kyiv, they will hardly tip the scales on the battlefield in the short term. Ukrainian troops are on the back foot as Russian forces continue their slow progress on the frontline, pummeling energy infrastructure and Ukrainian cities with airstrikes and drone attacks ahead of winter.
Overnight on Sunday into Monday, Russian strikes killed at least three people in the Kharkiv region in eastern Ukraine, according to local authorities.
Asked if the fighter jet deal was too late to help beat back Russian advances, Macron said these types of deals are “always seen as too early or too late.”
“We’ve already deployed Mirages jets and several countries have contributed to Ukrainian aviation,” Macron said.
The French president did not give a timeframe for the delivery of the first fighter jets and said that he hoped Europe would step in to help finance the Rafale purchases.
Kyiv is facing an imminent cash crunch, and while much of the European Union wants to help Ukraine by leveraging €140 billion worth of frozen Russian assets, member states have so far proved unable to come to an agreement.
Macron, however, said he believed there was a path forward that would not fall afoul of international law.
The Rafale deal in normal times would constitute a political win for Zelenskyy, but the Ukrainian president is still weathering the fallout from a massive corruption scandal that saw his close associates accused of courting $100 million worth of kickbacks in the energy sector.
Zelenskyy announced an overhaul of the country’s energy sector over the weekend, pledging a full audit and new management of state-owned companies. He said at the news conference Monday that Ukraine is not doing enough to combat public fraud and must continue doing more.
When asked about the scandal, Macron said he “trusts President Zelenskyy” to make reforms and fight against corruption.
This story has been updated.
Veronika Melkozerova contributed to this report.