Ukraine is set to purchase up to 100 Rafale warplanes, drones, air defence systems and other key equipment from France over the next 10 years.
The move is part of efforts to strengthen the country’s
long-term security amid Russia’s continued attacks.
The Elysee Palace confirmed the development on Monday when
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Emmanuel Macron, his French
counterpart, in Paris.
Zelenskyy, who signed the document alongside Macron, called
it “a historic deal” at a joint news conference while the French leader praised
it as “a new step forward” in the France-Ukraine relationship.
The Rafale is France’s most advanced fighter jet, a
high-tech, delta-winged, multi-role warplane known for its maneuverability 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 $100 million per aircraft.
“It will be the greatest air defence, one of the greatest in
the world,” Zelensky said.
Last month, TheCable reported that Russia had upgraded its
weapons to tip the battlefield balance in Ukraine.
Intelligence officials said the upgrades were designed to
overwhelm Ukraine’s existing defence architecture, which has relied heavily on
Western-supplied systems in the nearly four-year war.
Ivan Kholostenko, Ukraine’s ambassador to Nigeria, told
TheCable the development was a breach of the war’s rules.
The Russian embassy did not deny the development but
maintained that the conflict in Ukraine necessitated a shift in combat tactics.
There have been talks for several weeks to see how France
could provide more military support for Ukraine’s air defences, though there
have been questions about how much Macron’s government will be able to do as it
grapples with political and budgetary instability.
France, along with the UK, has pushed for the creation of a
coalition of about 30 countries willing to send troops and assets to Ukraine or
along its western borders once a peace deal with Russia is agreed.
In the meantime, Kholostenko noted that Ukraine is actively
building its own defence industry, realising that self-reliance is essential
for long-term protection.
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