France and Ukraine Sign Declaration for 10-Year Defense Buildout Envisioning 100 Rafale Jets

Overview

• Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron signed a declaration of intent near Paris outlining a decade-long program that foresees roughly 100 Rafale fighters and next-generation air-defense support.
• The framework lists potential acquisitions that include SAMP/T systems in development, drones and additional air-defense equipment.
• France previously pledged more Mirage fighters and a new batch of Aster 30 missiles to integrate with Ukraine’s SAMP/T batteries.
• Key implementation details such as financing, sourcing from existing stocks or future production and delivery timelines remain undecided.
• The visit, held at Villacoublay and featuring meetings with manufacturers including Dassault, followed overnight attacks that killed at least three people in the Kharkiv region.