France speeds up delivery of Mirage fighter jets to Ukraine - Zelenskyy
Illustrative photo: Ukraine will receive Mirage fighter jets from France (Getty Images)
France has agreed to speed up the delivery of Mirage fighter jets to Ukraine. Paris will also help strengthen Ukraine's air defense, according to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to the President, he held talks with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.
"I thanked France for its readiness to assist in the urgent strengthening of Ukraine's air defense, as well as for comprehensive defense support and the acceleration of the delivery of Mirage aircraft," Zelenskyy wrote.
As the Ukrainian president emphasized, he appreciates that France understands the challenges Ukraine faces. During the talks, the issue of how to strengthen Ukraine's air defense was discussed in detail.
"I stressed the importance of inviting Ukraine to NATO and expanding long-range capabilities — not only as a necessary measure to counter Russian aggression but also to bring closer peace," Zelenskyy clarified.
He added that the continuation of training and equipping Ukrainian brigades was also discussed, both within NATO countries and through training missions on Ukrainian territory.
Mirage for Ukraine
The Mirage 2000-5F, which France has promised to provide to Ukraine, is a multi-role fighter. It will help strengthen the Ukrainian aviation.
Back in October, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot promised that the first fighter jets would be delivered to Ukraine in early 2025.
However, the exact number of aircraft that Ukraine will receive is still unknown.
