ISTANBUL
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday said that his country has placed an order to acquire 100 Dassault Rafale fighter jets as part of a deal he signed with French President Emmanuel Macron.
“Ukraine has just placed a historic order for 100 Rafale fighter jets to equip its army,” Zelenskyy told journalists immediately following the signing of a declaration of intent with Macron, according to state news agency Ukrinform.
The signing of the document, which aims to bolster bilateral defense cooperation, particularly regarding Kyiv's acquisition of defense equipment, took place at the Velizy-Villacoublay airbase located near Paris.
Speaking at a joint press briefing with Macron in the French capital later in the day, Zelenskyy described the deal as a "historic" agreement that will last for 10 years, starting from 2026.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine will also receive an unspecified number of "very powerful" French radars under the deal, as well as eight SAMP/T air defense systems, each with six launchers.
"It is very valuable that France is taking such a step to achieve real, guaranteed security in Europe," Zelenskyy further said, expressing that he and Macron also met with representatives of defense companies while in the country to discuss "some specific details" of technological cooperation.
The Ukrainian president also announced an agreement between state-owned railway company Ukrzaliznytsia and French train manufacturer Alstom SA to purchase 55 new electric locomotives from France with the intention of bolstering Ukrainian logistics.
He went on to thank his French counterpart for the "new defense package that is being prepared at the end of this year." He gave no further details on the topic, but said the aforementioned package "also strengthens Ukraine."
Zelenskyy arrived in France following a visit to Greece's capital Athens, where the two countries’ gas companies signed a letter of intent for the supply of liquefied natural gas from the US to Ukraine during the coming winter.
The Ukrainian president is also due to visit Spain on Tuesday.
