PARIS, France: France plans to provide Mirage 2000 warplanes to Ukraine, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday in a televised interview.
Macron stated that the announcement would be made officially on Friday, coinciding with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s visit to France for the D-Day anniversary celebrations. However, he did not specify the number of Mirages to be supplied, the timeline for their delivery, or the financial terms of the agreement.
Macron revealed that France has proposed to train Ukrainian pilots in France starting this summer. Additionally, he mentioned a proposal to train 4,500 Ukrainian soldiers, though he did not specify the training location. Currently, there are no French military trainers on Ukrainian soil.
The Mirage 2000 is a multi-role, single-engine jet fighter, known for its versatility in various combat roles. In a conversation with Macron in September, Zelenskiy mentioned reaching an agreement on training Ukrainian pilots in France. The head of the Ukrainian Air Force indicated in January that the French Mirage aircraft could bolster Ukraine’s air defence capabilities.
This move by France is part of a broader international effort to support Ukraine amidst its ongoing conflict.
