Ukrainian president welcomes French promises of warplanes to help fight Russia

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy said on June 7 he hoped to see French-supplied warplanes in Ukrainian skies soon after President Emmanuel Macron said France planned to provide it Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets.

Zelenskiy has long expressed his frustration at how long Western allies are taking to make key decisions on military support for Ukraine in its war against Russian forces, Reuters reports.

"Your combat aviation, brilliant fighter jets under Ukrainian pilots' command will prove that Europe is stronger, stronger than evil which dared to threaten it," Zelenskiy said.

In the run-up to Zelenskiy's visit, diplomats had said Paris could agree to send military trainers to Ukraine given Kyiv's urgent needs to quickly mobilise more men.

Macron said that in the immediate term, France would train, equip and finance an entire brigade of 4,500 Ukrainians, but he stopped short of making any announcement on sending advisers for now.

Such a decision would be done on the basis of a collective decision, he said.

"There should not be a taboo on this subject. At a moment when Ukraine has a challenge, we need give an answer," he said.

The Mirage 2000-5 is a multi-role, single-engine jet fighter. France aims to replace its existing Mirage fleet by 2030 with Rafale warplanes, but it hopes also to convince other countries that have Mirages to supply them to Ukraine.

Zelenskiy addressed France's National Assembly on Friday, earning several standing ovations.