Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron collectively signed a letter of intent that units out the groundwork for a Ukrainian purchase of as much as 100 Dassault Rafale jets, extra SAMP/T batteries, guided weapons, and UAVs.
Standing collectively at Vélizy-Villacoublay Air Base, close to Paris, the respective Presidents of Ukraine and France embraced with a hug after signing their names on the printed agreements. The go to to France is Zelenskyy’s ninth because the 2022 full scale invasion of his nation by Russian forces.
The headline of the letter of intent is the potential acquisition of as much as 100 Dassault Rafale fighter plane for the Ukrainian Air Pressure. Additionally included on this package deal are related weapons to be used on the Rafale, probably together with extra SCALP missiles, AASM Hammer glide bombs, and air to air missiles. Preliminary deliveries will not be anticipated to reach till at the very least 2029, with the total fleet in service by 2035 – presumably with the hope that the current battle with Russia could have ceased by this level.
🇫🇷 🇺🇦 France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky have signed an accord for Kyiv to amass as much as 100 Rafale fighter jets and different {hardware}, a lift for Ukraine because it fights the Russian invasion.➡️ pic.twitter.com/v9W0TC6Vym
— AFP Information Company (@AFP) November 17, 2025
New models of the SAMP/T air defence system will even be procured to bolster Ukraine’s present batteries, alongside extra shares of the Aster 30 floor to air missile that it utilises. Eight full methods can be provided, every comprising six launchers of eight missiles. Ukraine’s small variety of in service SAMP/T batteries shot down their first Russian plane in March 2025 after proving the system’s effectiveness in opposition to varied sorts of incoming missiles over the earlier years. Nonetheless, a brief provide of Aster missiles has raised questions over the long run sustainability of the platform.
Along with the earlier settlement signed with Sweden, this new deal would in concept see Ukraine’s air power as the primary operator of each the Dassault Rafale and Saab Gripen. If full numbers are realised, it will rapidly catapult the Ukrainian Air Pressure to turn into one of the vital properly geared up air arms in Europe.
Right now marks a major second, really historic for each our nations – France and Ukraine. Along with Emmanuel Macron, we signed a Declaration of Intent on Cooperation within the Acquisition of Protection Tools for Ukraine. This doc allows Ukraine to obtain army… pic.twitter.com/0qzG41IsnP
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 17, 2025
It ought to be famous that as each of those offers act as letters of intent quite than binding contracts, the procurement of both fighter sort has but to be totally assured. It’s certainly potential that quite than expressing a want to function each the Rafale and Gripen aspect by aspect in the long run, Ukraine is just creating an insurance coverage coverage to be sure that it can have the means within the years to come back to outfit its air power to discourage or counter any additional Russian aggression.
On social media, President Zelenskyy stated that the signing of the settlement was a major, historic second for each Ukraine and France, saying he’s “deeply grateful to France, President Emmanuel Macron, and all of the French folks.”
Grand jour.Великий день. pic.twitter.com/YwfGV4d7Ii
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) November 17, 2025
President Macron on social media merely proclaimed the day as a “nice day” in each French and Ukrainian. On the signing he instructed reporters that he intends to place his nation’s “industrial and technological excellence on the service of Ukraine and due to this fact of Europe,” in gentle of “unacceptable” Russian assaults by a Moscow administration that he says is “hooked on struggle”.
He added: “Even when peace have been signed tomorrow, this is able to nonetheless be important, as a result of the assure of that peace is a powerful Ukrainian military capable of maintain its floor. These capabilities will present that.”
France has already delivered surplus Mirage 2000 fighter plane to bolster the Ukrainian Air Pressure fleet, although there appears to be no intention transferring Rafale plane from France’s personal stock to hurry up deliveries. Round 150-160 Rafales are operated throughout the French Air Pressure and French Navy with manufacturing strains nonetheless very a lot open. A significant improve is about to come back with the brand new Rafale F5 variant within the 2030s, full with an all new nuclear-armed hypersonic cruise missile to switch the ASMPA-R.
The 2 nations will moreover improve their co-operation on counter-UAV expertise improvement, whereas French producer Delair will provide extra models of its DT46 and UX11 reconnaissance drones to Ukraine. The UX11 design, accessible commercially for mapping functions, has seen additional improvement in coordination with KNDS to supply a loitering munition variant which has reportedly already been delivered to Ukraine in prior army support shipments.
