France will supply Rafale fighter jets to Ukraine

Vladimir Zelensky expects to purchase 100 aircraft

The Presidents of France and Ukraine Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Zelensky signed a military assistance agreement providing for the supply of Rafale fighter jets to Kiev. The ceremony took place at the Villacoublay airbase near Paris. The details of the document are not disclosed, but it is known that it includes the transfer of French fighters to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Ukrainian media report that Kyiv also hopes to supply air defense systems and drones. Zelensky later clarified that the agreement involves the supply of 100 Rafale fighters .

The Elysee Palace confirmed this, noting that the aircraft will be delivered with full armament within ten years.

France, according to Reuters, included air defense systems in the package, as well as previously promised Mirage fighters and Aster missiles. Kyiv will also receive medium-range surface-to-air systems SAMP/T. Negotiations on strengthening Ukrainian air defense and aviation took place for several weeks.

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Macron hopes for peace until 2027

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously stated that Paris, together with its partners, intends to strengthen support for Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia to end the war as quickly as possible.

“I hope that peace will be achieved before 2027,” the French president said after his meeting with Zelensky. Macron added that “the rules of the game in terms of pressure” have already been changed, recalling measures against the Russian oil companies Lukoil, Rosneft and a number of ships.

Moscow considers the sanctions illegal and states that arms supplies to Ukraine will not change the course of hostilities, and the military operation will end only after achieving all its goals.

What is the Rafale fighter

Rafale is a French multi-role generation fighter designed as a universal platform for aviation and navy. It is capable of performing multiple missions within a single mission - conducting air combat, striking ground targets, operating at sea, conducting reconnaissance and participating in the nuclear deterrence program.

The aircraft has a delta-shaped wing and is equipped with an electronic control system, which ensures high maneuverability and stability at high angles of attack. Two Snecma M88 engines accelerate the Rafale to 2200 km/h, and the combat radius with external tanks reaches 1800 km.

Rafale carries up to 9.5 tons of weapons: MICA and Meteor missiles for air combat, SCALP EG and AASM HAMMER for ground strikes, Exocet for naval purposes, as well as guided and free-fall bombs.

The aircraft is capable of refueling in the air and itself performs the function of a tanker.

The Rafale is in service with France and is exported to India, Egypt, Qatar, Greece, Croatia and Indonesia. Ukraine may become the next buyer.

For the first time, the Ukrainian authorities asked their allies to provide them with fighters back in 2022, but in January 2023, then US President Joe Biden categorically refused to transfer any aircraft to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Vorstka wrote. The situation changed in May 2023. Then the White House allowed third countries to supply F-16 fighters to Ukraine, but refused to transfer their own, citing the danger of escalation from Russia. In August 2023, training of the first eight Ukrainian pilots began at a base in Denmark.

Photo: Rafale fighter jet on the runway before the arrival of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at Villacoublay air base near Paris, November 17, 2025. Blondet Eliot/ABACA via Reuters Connect

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