Ukraine on Monday signed a letter of intent with France to purchase up to 100 Rafale fighter jets over the next decade, a move both leaders described as a major step in strengthening Kyiv’s long-term defense capabilities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron announced the decision at a joint press conference at the Elysée Palace, calling the document a strategic roadmap for future defense cooperation.
Zelenskyy said the plan includes the potential acquisition of 100 Rafale jets, advanced French radars, and eight SAMP/T air-defense systems equipped with six launchers each. “This is a strategic agreement that will operate for 10 years starting next year,” he said, hailing it as a historic deal.
Macron said the agreement covers France’s latest-generation jets with full armament packages, as well as training and industrial programs. It also outlines possible deliveries of drones, drone-interceptor systems, guided bombs and next-generation SAMP/T systems, with initial transfers expected within three years.
French defense officials say the SAMP/T batteries deployed in Ukraine have proven highly effective against Russian missiles — in some cases outperforming U.S.-made Patriot systems.
Zelenskyy, making his ninth trip to Paris since Russia’s full-scale invasion, is pressing Western partners for more air-defense support as Ukraine braces for another winter of heavy Russian attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure.
Earlier Monday, Zelenskyy and Macron visited an air base near Paris before heading to the headquarters of a multinational “coalition of the willing” that France and the U.K. are coordinating with more than 30 countries. The force is being prepared to help oversee any future ceasefire, though Moscow has rejected such proposals.
The visit follows Ukraine’s recent agreements with Sweden on exploring the purchase of up to 150 Gripen jets and ongoing deliveries of U.S. F-16s and French Mirage aircraft.
France remains one of Kyiv’s key defense partners, supplying air-defense systems, jets and other equipment. French military chief Gen. Fabien Mandon recently warned that Ukraine urgently needs additional air-defense assets, saying Russia is launching roughly 1,700 drones per week alongside missile barrages.