Zelensky, Macron Agree on Plans to Significantly Increase Mirages for Ukraine
During a recent summit meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed a wide range of issues, including strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities by increasing the number of Mirage fighters and launching joint production of modernized interceptor drones. The leaders also explored opportunities for enhancing security cooperation and diplomatic pressure on Russia, and discussed a number of global and regional pressing issues, including preparations for the NATO summit in The Hague and the situation in the Middle East. According to the Ukrainian presidential office, the parties already have specific intentions to increase the number of modern Mirage aircraft, which have proven to be a powerful tool in countering Russian aggression. These fighters are particularly effective in combating Iranian drones and cruise missiles, which are often used by Russia to attack Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. The Ukrainian military has already confirmed that the Mirages have significantly strengthened the country's so-called strike aircraft, allowing it to respond more quickly to missile attacks and protect strategically important objects. President Zelensky stressed that further increasing the number of these fighters will be an important step in deterring Russian aggression. Kyiv and Paris are actively working on the possibility of expanding production capacities to create new machines in cooperation with French enterprises. At the same time, the leaders spoke about launching joint production of interceptor drones capable of countering massive attacks by Iranian drones, which have already become a serious threat to Ukrainian cities. One of the main aspects of the discussions was the coordination of further diplomatic efforts, in particular, pressure on the Russian Federation to strengthen its sanctions policy. It is planned to lower the "ceiling" of prices for Russian oil and introduce new sanctions against LNG supplies from Russia, which should increase economic pressure and reduce the financial capabilities of the aggressor country to wage war. In addition to defense and economic issues, the parties discussed preparations for the upcoming NATO summit, which is to be held in The Hague. It is planned to intensify diplomatic work to attract broader international support for Ukraine and create additional mechanisms to guarantee security. The situation in the Middle East was also discussed, in particular the issue of stabilizing and preventing new conflicts in the region, which is of great importance for overall global security. Thus, the meeting between Zelensky and Macron became an important part of the joint efforts of Ukraine and France to provide diplomatic, defense and economic support in the fight against Russian aggression and strengthening strategic stability in the international arena.