France has begun preparations for a new transfer of Mirage 2000 combat aircraft to Ukraine and has signed a Letter of Intent with Kyiv on joint weapons production.
Ukraine’s Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov announced this following talks with France’s Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Katrin Votren.
Details of the talks
According to Fedorov, the parties discussed accelerating the delivery of Mirage 2000 aircraft. They also talked about supplying Ukraine’s Defense Forces with record volumes of AASM Hammer guided aerial bombs. They also paid special attention to the provision of long-range strike capabilities, including SCALP missiles.
The minister emphasized that Ukraine wants France to continue supplying air defense systems – SAMP/T, Mistral, and Crotale – along with ammunition. The Ukrainian side proposed working jointly to upgrade the SAMP/T system for more effective defense against ballistic threats. They also aim to speed up the production of Aster missiles.
The talks also covered the implementation of joint projects between the governments and defense companies of Ukraine and France. These include testing security solutions and developing innovative electronic warfare systems. The projects are expected to be financed through a European Union loan and the SAFE program.
Fedorov noted that the signed Letter of Intent opens the way for a transition from arms deliveries to joint weapons production. This would take place on the territories of both countries.
New fighter jets from reserve
According to the Journal du Dimanche, France will send Ukraine two Mirage 2000 fighter jets from its military reserves within six months as part of a bilateral agreement first announced by French President Emmanuel Macron in 2024.
The move is another development in military support for Ukraine, following the previous delivery of Mirage 2000s confirmed by former French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu in February 2025.
French defense officials visited Kyiv, where they discussed with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Mykhailo Fedorov the strengthening of bilateral military cooperation, including additional deliveries of aircraft.
Context
Ukraine received its first French Mirage 2000 fighter jets on February 6, 2025. Ukrainian pilots who had completed several months of training in France arrived in Ukraine together with the aircraft.
In March, it became known that the Air Force of Ukraine used Mirage 2000 fighter jets for the first time. They destroyed aerial targets during a massive Russian attack.
Overall, as early as late January 2026, reports indicated that France was preparing a new large-scale military aid package for Ukraine. Under this package, Paris is expected to provide the Air Force of Ukraine with an additional batch of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets. These jets are multirole aircraft.
Previously, The Ukrainian Review reported that Ukraine and France are launching joint weapons production on the territories of both states. Ukraine’s Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov and France’s Minister of the Armed Forces Katrin Votren signed the relevant Letter of Intent on February 9.
