VÉLIZY-VILLACOUBLAY: France's President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky Monday signed an accord for Kyiv to acquire up to 100 Rafale fighter jets and other hardware, a boost for Ukraine as it fights the Russian invasion.
The letter of intent inked by the two leaders sets out possible future contracts for Ukraine to acquire 100 Rafale fighter jets "with their associated weapons", the French presidency said.
It also lays out deals for the new generation SAMP-T air defense systems which are under development, radar systems and drones.
The accord signed at France's Villacoublay air base is not a purchase and sales contract and is projected to be realized "over a timeframe of about 10 years", the presidency added.
Zelensky, who has suffered setbacks over the last week due to a corruption scandal at home and Russian forces closing in on the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, wrote on X ahead of meeting Macron that the accord would be a "historic deal".
"A great day," Macron wrote in a brief post on X in French and Ukrainian over a picture of the deal being signed.
The aim is to "enable it (Kyiv) to acquire the systems it needs to respond to Russian aggression", added a French presidential official, asking not to be named.
The Ukrainian president had already signed a letter of intent last month to acquire 100 to 150 Swedish Gripen fighter jets.
France has delivered Mirage fighter jets to Kyiv, but until now there had been no talk of Ukraine acquiring the Rafale, the crown jewel of French combat aviation.
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