France's President Emmanuel Macron (right) and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands after signing an agreement at the Villacoublay air base in Velizy-Villacoublay near Paris, November 17, 2025. CHRISTOPHE ENA / AFP
France's President Emmanuel Macron and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky signed an accord on Monday, November 17, for Kyiv to acquire up to 100 Rafale fighter jets and other hardware, a boost for Ukraine as it fights the Russian invasion.
The letter of intent inked by the two leaders sets out possible future contracts for Ukraine to acquire 100 Rafale fighter jets "with their associated weapons," the French presidency said. It also lays out deals for the new generation SAMP-T air defense systems which are under development, radar systems and drones.
The accord signed at France's Villacoublay air base is not a purchase and sales contract and is projected to be realized "over a timeframe of about 10 years", the presidency added. Zelensky, who has suffered setbacks over the last week due to a corruption scandal at home and Russian forces closing in on the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, wrote on X ahead of meeting Macron that the accord would be a "historic deal."
