Overview
- Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky signed a nonbinding letter of intention on November 17 for Ukraine to acquire up to 100 Rafale fighters over roughly a decade.
- Beyond the jets, the package outlined by the Élysée includes next‑generation SAMP‑T air‑defence systems, four radar systems, AASM Hammer guided bombs and a range of drones.
- No funding model or delivery calendar has been set, and European officials warn of a sizable financing gap for Ukraine as proposals circulate to leverage earnings from frozen Russian assets.
- Industry capacity is a constraint, with Dassault producing about three Rafales per month and targeting five, suggesting deliveries would take years; Ukrainian statements cited 2035 as an aspirational horizon for a full fleet.
- The Kremlin denounced the announcement, with spokesman Dmitri Peskov accusing Paris of "fueling" the war and asserting the move will not alter the battlefield situation.