By Anthony Marcus for Eurasia Business News, November 17, 2025. Article no.1903.
France and Ukraine have signed an agreement enabling Ukraine to purchase up to 100 Rafale fighter jets by 2035, as part of a major defense partnership to modernize and strengthen Ukraine’s air force. The deal was formalized on November 17, with Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelenskyy signing a letter of intent at the air base of Villacoublay near Paris.
The letter of intent covers up to 100 Dassault Rafale multirole fighter jets sold to Ukraine, along with associated weapons, drones, and next-generation SAMP/T air defense systems over approximately ten years.
The agreement is not yet a binding purchase contract, but lays the foundation for future contracts and technology transfer.
Strategic Significance
The French Rafale jets are among Europe’s most advanced combat aircraft, capable of air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, and will allow Ukraine to transition further from Soviet-era systems to Western standards.
The package also includes air defense radars, anti-drone technologies, and guided bombs, with training, industrial cooperation, and production ramp-up measures planned.
Regarding drones and guided bombs, French president Emmanuel Macron spoke of “production commitments by the end of the year and over the next three years”.
If the sale to Ukraine were to take place in full, it would be the largest Rafale sale to a foreign country in history. It would be about twenty units ahead of the previous record, signed in 2022 with the United Arab Emirates for 80 fighters to be delivered between 2026 and 2031.
As of June 2025, France has sold and exported 323 Rafale fighter jets to foreign customers since the beginning of service in French Navy in 2004 and French Air Force in 2006. Rafale jets are now operated by eight different countries outside of France, making it one of the most successful European fighter jet exports in the 21st century.
Timeline and Details
The timeframe for the full delivery is about ten years, with no immediate delivery schedule for the first jets announced.
Initial focus will be on the delivery of air defense assets, pilot training, and establishing production partnerships.
This agreement marks a historic and strategic boost to Ukraine’s air power and deepens Franco-Ukrainian military ties in response to ongoing military threats.
In February 2024 the French and Ukrainian Presidents had signed a bilateral security cooperation agreement at the Elysée Palace in Paris. As a nuclear power and a founding member State of NATO, France plays a key role in the European defence policy.
France hosted high-level talks on Ukraine in Paris on April 17, involving U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, Ukrainian officials including Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron and representatives from Britain and Germany.
The Ukrainian president Zelensky signed a letter of intent last month to acquire 100 to 150 Swedish Gripen fighter jets. This change in approach makes it possible to plan for the long-term strengthening of Ukraine’s defence after a possible outcome to the conflict.
Ukraine aims to join existing Western political and defence structures and contribute to their reinforcement, while Russia intends to gain control of parts of the territory of Ukraine since February 2022.
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