Kremlin: France-Ukraine Fighter Jet Deal Fuels the War

Russia condemned on Tuesday the agreement signed between Paris and Kyiv to supply Ukraine with approximately 100 "Rafale" fighter jets, considering the move to be "fueling" the war.

Details of the Deal and Moscow’s Reaction

• Kremlin Statement: Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that "Paris is not contributing to peace in any way; rather, it is fueling militarization and pro-war positions."

• The Deal: Moscow's stance came a day after French President Emmanuel Macron and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a "declaration of intent" and a memorandum at the Villacoublay Air Base, outlining future defense supplies to Kyiv, which includes Ukraine purchasing 100 French "Rafale" fighters over the coming years. The Rafale is France's most prominent warplane, and there had been no previous discussion about the possibility of supplying Kyiv with it.

• Field Impact: Peskov downplayed the deal's significance on the course of the war, asserting that "regardless of which planes are sold to the Kyiv regime, that will not change the situation on the front lines and cannot change the dynamics."

Zelenskyy’s current visit to Paris is his ninth since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war on February 24, 2022.