French President Emmanuel Macron revealed on Thursday that France intends to transfer Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine and provide training for its pilots, as part of a new military collaboration with Kyiv.
According to Macron's statement to French television, a new cooperation initiative will be launched, with plans to transfer Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine, which are manufactured by the French company Dassault.
He further mentioned that during his upcoming meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for talks at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Friday, he will propose the commencement of pilot training for Ukrainian personnel starting this summer.
Macron indicated that the training process typically spans between five to six months, implying that by the year's end, trained pilots will be available. He clarified that the training will take place in France.
While the specific number of fighter jets to be transferred was not specified, the French Ministry of Defense refrained from providing further details during its communication with the AFP news agency.
Macron emphasized Ukraine's significant challenge in training soldiers while simultaneously aiming to deploy additional forces on the front line.
He underscored France's commitment to equip and train a full brigade comprising 4,500 Ukrainian soldiers.
Amid Russia's recent battlefield gains, Kyiv has been advocating for increased military support from Europe.
Although there were speculations about Macron swiftly announcing the dispatch of French trainers to Ukraine, even after his talks with Zelensky on Friday, he clarified that decisions would be made collectively with France's allies.
Macron also emphasized that he does not view any potential actions by Paris as escalatory.
Follow the latest news on Google News
