French President Emmanuel Macron promised Mirage fighters to Ukraine, although he did not initially say how many.
In a television interview in the northern city of Caen on Thursday night, Macron said a coalition of partners was in the process of forming to supply Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to the country defending itself from Russia.
The fighter jets should allow Ukraine to protect its soil and airspace, Macron told broadcasters TF1 and France 2.
The French president also announced plans for Ukrainian pilots to be trained by France from the summer. A brigade of 4,500 Ukrainian soldiers would also be trained.
When asked whether France would send military trainers to Ukraine, Macron responded evasively. Ukraine calls for training in its country and this would not constitute an escalation of war, he said.
“We are in the process of working with all our partners and will decide based on a collective decision at this time as a coalition,” Macron said. At the same time, the French president made it clear that training would not take place in the combat zone.
Macron announced last week that he would comment on the issue of a possible deployment of French military trainers to Ukraine during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to France, saying he would make a “very precise statement at that time.”
Macron plans to receive Zelensky at his official residence, the Élysée Palace in Paris, on Friday afternoon.
Production of Mirage jets began in the early 1980s, followed by several versions of the aircraft. The Mirage 2000-5, an aircraft that will now be delivered to Ukraine, was considered one of the best multirole combat aircraft of the 1990s.
In the future, the Mirage jets will be gradually replaced by the newer Rafale jets.
