Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set his eyes on the French-origin Rafale, a 4.5-generation fighter jet, to counter Russian air superiority in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Zelenskyy met French President Emmanuel Macron after arriving in Paris late on Monday and told him about his plans to acquire at least 100 French Rafales over the course of the next decade.
The Russian side has warned France that the deal would leave a massive scope for corruption among Ukraine’s Russia hawks, including President Zelenskyy.
This comes after two leaders had signed a letter of intent on Monday for the purchase at the Paris meeting. Macron said that plans for the delivery of the jets are “needed for the regeneration of the Ukrainian military.”
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy touted the plan as a “strategic agreement” and “a historic deal”. He said the letter was not a final contract but rather an initial commitment, while Macron did not provide any timeline for the financing mechanism. Zelenskyy hoped that the EU would help procure these jets.
The move also comes at a time when EU officials have been debating a possible plan to use Russian assets to generate a loan of €140 billion for cash-strapped Ukraine. Moscow has condemned the asset freeze as “theft”.
The Rafale, France’s most advanced multirole jet, is estimated at more than $90 million each. According to LCI, supplying 100 jets could ultimately cost around €15 billion ($17 billion).
The agreement between France and Ukraine also includes eight next-generation SAMP/T air-defence batteries now under development, AASM Hammer precision-guided munitions, drones, and French-made radars.
The Russian side responded by saying France and the West were playing with fire and accused the Ukrainian side of being full of corrupt people. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, said, “Maybe they took part in the graft with Rafale fighter jets, too. What say you, people of France?”
