Ukraine and France have signed a letter of intent for the purchase of up to 100 French fighter jets and other air defense weaponry from French companies.
The letter was signed by Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron at an airbase outside Paris.
Zelensky landed at the Villacoublay air base near Paris earlier today, where he was welcomed by Macron ahead of the signing ceremony. During his visit to the base, Zelensky inspected advanced French weaponry, including the Rafale jets and the SAMP/T air defense system.
The letter of intent outlines possible future contracts for Ukraine’s potential acquisition of 100 Rafale fighter jets “with their associated weapons” as well as the SAMP-T air defense system, which is still under development, radar systems and drones.
According to the French presidency, the signed document is not a concrete purchase and sales agreement, and the possible contracts it sets out would be agreed “over a timeframe of about 10 years.”
Zelenskyy noted that the Ukrainian and French defense industries will also launch new joint projects this year, including those focused on interceptor drones.
Macron’s office said last week that the two leaders are set to discuss bilateral cooperation in the “energy, economic, and defense fields,” as well as progress in preparing security guarantees for Ukraine under the “Coalition of the Willing” framework.
Paris has been a key ally to Ukraine since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion in 2022, providing Mirage 2000 fighter jets, artillery, SCALP long-range missiles, and more.
Seeking to build a modern air force in the face of Russian aggression, Ukraine has previously received F-16 fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands and conluded an agreement to potentially acquire Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets in the coming years.
Zelenskyy wrote on X ahead of the talks that he expected the meeting to result in a “historic deal.” His visit to France is the ninth since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Macron and Zelenskyy also visited the headquarters of a Ukraine multinational force that France and Britain are preparing in the event an international force is deployed in Ukraine after any ceasefire.
The headquarters at Mont Valerien, west of Paris, is where countries from the “Coalition of the willing” organised by France and Britain have sent officers to prepare the force.
Zelenskyy’s meeting with Macron is part of his tour among European allies in a bid to shore up his country’s depleted armed forces and winter energy security, which Russia has repeatedly targeted.
The Ukrainian President visited Greece yesterday, November 16, 2025, where he concluded a deal on a new route for gas supplies, among other deals on financing gas imports.
Ukraine’s Energy Ministry disclosed that Russian forces have attacked Ukrainian energy infrastructure in five regions across the country overnight, adding that repair work is under way at the damaged facilities.
The ministry said that the strikes hit energy targets in the Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Odesa and Donetsk regions. It added that scheduled power outages were in place for industrial and commercial consumers across most of the country’s regions in a bid to manage the load on energy infrastructure.
Zelenskyy To Visit Spain To Rally Support For Ukraine
Zelenskyy is expected to visit Spain tomorrow, Tuesday, November 18, 2025, for talks on bolstering Ukraine’s air defenses.
Zelenskyy will hold talks with Spain’s PM Sanchez and King Felipe VI on Tuesday as he tries to rally new support against Russia’s invasion.
Sanchez’s office said that the President of Ukraine will discuss “matters of common interest” and address the media with Sanchez in Madrid during a trip that will “reaffirm Spain’s commitment to Ukraine in all areas.”
He is also due to meet lawmakers from both chambers of the Spanish parliament on this third visit to the staunch ally of Kyiv.
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