Ukraine and France have signed an agreement, outlining the purchase of up to 100 Dassault Rafale F4 fighter jets for the Ukrainian Air Force.
The sale is seen as a European show of force, in the wake of limited US support, and comes after Ukraine signed a letter of intent to purchase 100 to 150 Gripen E fighter jets from Sweden.
In a social media post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the agreement “truly historic for both our nations.”
The agreement was deliberately spread over a 10-year period, with deliveries meant to last until 2035, to send a signal of long-term support for Ukraine, and includes air-defence equipment, air-to-air missiles and aerial bombs.
Further, the agreement outlines joint defence-sector projects, intended to begin this year, with the two countries aiming to jointly produce interceptor drones.
The details of how the deal will be financed have yet to be finalised, but reports from the BBC suggest France intends to make use of frozen Russian assets, along with potential EU assistance.
French President Emmanual Macron hailed the deal, saying “it is what’s needed for the regeneration of the Ukrainian military.”
[Image: By Clemens Vasters from Viersen, Germany, Germany – Dassault Rafale, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60222673]