France has officially delivered its first batch of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine. In a social media post, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu confirmed that the first of these aircraft have arrived in Ukraine, though he did not specify the exact number. Mr Lecornu added that, after months of training Ukrainian pilots, France will now assist Ukraine in defending its airspace.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the delivery, which comes amid growing concerns over potential reduced support from Washington following the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Last June, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the transfer of Mirage 2000-5 jets to Ukraine as part of France’s military cooperation with Kyiv.
