Ukraine is set to receive up to 100 French-made Rafale F-4 fighter jets and upgraded air defence systems in a deal aimed at strengthening Kiev’s capacity to repel a major Russian assault.

The agreement was formalised after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a document with French President Emmanuel Macron at an airport near Paris, a move Zelensky described as “historic.”

Under the deal, the Rafale F-4 jets are expected to be fully delivered by 2035, while joint production of drones designed to intercept enemy aircraft is due to begin this year. Funding sources have not been confirmed, though France plans to seek European Union support and tap into frozen Russian assets—a measure that has sparked division within the 27-member bloc.

Analysts say the deal marks a significant expansion of Ukraine’s Western-supplied military capabilities, signalling continued European support in the conflict while highlighting underlying tensions over financial mechanisms to hold Russia accountable.