Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid a working visit to France and held a meeting with Emmanuel Macron. At the Villacuble airbase near Paris, the parties signed another comprehensive declaration of cooperation in the field of defense. It is no coincidence that Zelenskyy previously called this agreement a "historic step" - the document contained major decisions of strategic importance for the Ukrainian army.
The most important part of this agreement, which runs until 2035, is the plan to supply Ukraine with 100 Rafale fighter jets of French production. So far, the financial sources of this enormous military aid have not been fully disclosed. According to Reuters, it is also possible that some of the aircraft will be supplied directly from the existing fleet in France.
According to Zelenskyy, in addition to the Rafale, the parties also reached an agreement on the supply of SAMP/T air defense systems, modern radars for them, "air-to-air" devices, and other important military equipment created in cooperation between France and Italy. The two countries also agreed to jointly launch the production of interceptor drones this year. This is another important step towards making Ukraine's defense sector more independent and modern.
After the signing of the agreement, Zelenskyy and Macron visited the headquarters of the "volunteer coalition" organized at the initiative of France and Great Britain, discussing the importance of continuous assistance to Ukraine at a time when security problems arose in Europe. At the press conference, Macron spoke about Ukraine as "Europe's first defense line" and reminded that every aid provided to Kyiv is necessary for the security of the entire continent.
Following France, Zelenskyy will head to Madrid. Although the details of the visit to Spain have not yet been disclosed to the public, this will be the second visit of the Ukrainian leader to Spain since the beginning of the war.
At the same time, a month ago, Zelenskyy also signed a declaration with Sweden on the supply of 100-150 Gripen fighter jets. The first planes are expected to arrive in Ukraine in 2026. The issue of financing is not yet clear, but the possibility of attracting frozen Russian assets is being discussed by the Swedish side.
According to Reuters sources, these agreements with France and Sweden are part of a long-term strategy to increase Ukrainian military aviation to 250 modern combat aircraft. Considering that Ukraine currently has only a few dozen effective aircraft, these agreements will undoubtedly fundamentally strengthen the country's defense.
At this time, when Ukraine is becoming one of the most important points of European security, the new agreement signed with Paris may be of decisive importance for the coming years.
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