Who Will Pay for 250 New Fighters for Zelensky 0 8

Ukraine plans to acquire 100 Rafale fighters from France for the "revival of the Ukrainian army."

The countries signed a "declaration of intent regarding cooperation in the acquisition of French military equipment by Ukraine."

The amount of the proposed contract will be at least 10 billion euros, but will depend on the chosen level of armament and equipment of the aircraft.

The news was presented with great pomp; however, it should be emphasized that the document signed by Macron and Zelensky is not an "agreement" or a contract, but rather a "declaration of intent" that may lead to the acquisition of "Rafales."

Moreover, the discussion is about the purchase of aircraft, but no exact information has been provided regarding the sources from which Ukraine will pay for them.

The cost of one multi-role Rafale fighter ranges from 70 to 220 million euros depending on the configuration.

The French company Dassault Aviation has expanded its capacity to produce up to three aircraft per month starting in 2026, and plans to increase this figure to four in 2028-2029.

However, The Wall Street Journal notes that the question of who will pay for this remains unresolved. It is indicated that if the deal goes through, considering Kyiv's plans to also acquire up to 150 Gripen aircraft from Sweden, Ukraine could create the largest European fleet of fighters outside of Russia.

The article notes that the statement has raised skepticism among defense analysts. They doubt whether the enormous spending on fighters meets Ukraine's battlefield needs, as well as the financial realities of its European allies.

The publication suggests that neither Kyiv nor Paris has the funds to finance the production of these fighters. European Union representatives do not rule out that Ukraine may run out of money altogether by spring. Additionally, France's struggle to reduce its own budget deficit has led to several successive government changes.

At the same time, the publication suggests that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's desire to acquire French and Swedish weapons underscores the country's intention to seek alternatives to the U.S. for its future military equipment needs.

Although the Patriot missile defense system is successfully used in Ukraine, Kyiv wants to acquire its European equivalent, Samp/T. Reports indicate that the first deliveries of the latest version of this system to France and Italy are scheduled for early next year.

It is noteworthy that the UK and Germany have already provided Ukraine with a large number of missiles and armored vehicles of their own production.

The article states that French officials insist that the EU develop a long-term strategy for financing Ukraine's military potential in the coming years.

Currently, the European Union is considering providing Ukraine with a loan of 183 billion euros, which will be drawn from frozen Russian assets held in Belgium.

However, not everyone in the EU supports the idea of using frozen Russian assets.