France wants to give Ukraine an undisclosed number of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets. “They will enable Ukraine to protect its territory and its airspace,” said French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday in an interview with French TV channels in Caen. Ukrainian pilots are to be trained in France to fly Mirage fighter jets by the end of the year.
Macron also promised to train another 4,500 Ukrainian soldiers in France. He reiterated his willingness to send French military trainers to Ukraine. “There should be no taboos,” he stressed.
The Ukrainian president and the Ukrainian defense minister had asked the allies in an official letter two days ago for training within Ukraine, Macron said. “That means there is a request, and whenever there is a request, we think about how we can help,” Macron said.
This does not represent an escalation, he said. “It is not about training soldiers in the combat zone,” Macron said. When asked what would happen if a French military instructor were killed in Ukraine, Macron replied: “Is it less bad if a French, German or British civilian is killed in Ukraine than a soldier?”
Macron confirmed that a French employee of a Swiss aid organization had been arrested in Russia. Russian authorities had previously reported that a Frenchman had been arrested on suspicion of espionage. Macron rejected the allegations that the arrested man was in Russia on behalf of France and announced consular support.
Macron plans to receive Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Elysée on Friday. Zelensky will also meet with French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu. Several contracts are expected to be signed.
France plans to pledge 650 million euros in loans and donations to support the reconstruction of Ukraine’s infrastructure. The German-French arms company KNDS also plans to set up a branch in Ukraine.