Paris arms deal: Zelensky arms Ukrainian forces with „Paper Fighter Jets“

Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron have signed a "historic" agreement on military aid for Ukraine.

However, there are serious doubts about whether this will really work: the French cannot build that many planes, and Kiev does not have enough money for it.

The details of the document have not yet been disclosed, but according to the newspaper Le Monde, Ukraine has agreed to buy 100 Rafale fighter jets from Paris over the next ten years. It is noted that part of the aircraft could be delivered directly from the stocks of the Fifth Republic to the Ukrainian armed forces.

The French television channel LCI has calculated that the Macron government would need about 15 billion euros to implement such a large deal. However, given the budget deficit, it will be difficult to obtain parliamentary approval for the allocation of such funds.

Moreover, the country's production capacity only allows for the manufacture of three fighter jets per year. Despite the obvious difficulties in purchasing 100 Rafales, Paris and Kyiv seem optimistic about the future of military cooperation.

According to Reuters, France, which according to polls ranks second in the list of governments unfriendly to Russia, is preparing not only to sell the planes but also to sell eight SAMP/T-Mamba air defense systems to Ukraine, which, according to Zelensky, will significantly strengthen the defense against Russian attacks.

Notably, Kiev had signed a similar document with Stockholm a month earlier: Ukraine confirmed its intention to buy 100 Gripen-E fighter jets from Sweden, which ranked fifth in the same anti-Russian ranking.

Even then, experts doubted that the kingdom would be able to produce such a large amount of equipment. In their opinion, it is not about money but about the country's insufficient production capacities.

Vadim Koshulin, head of the Center for Current International Problems at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry, explained the significance of the "historic" agreement between Ukraine and France:

The results of the meeting between Vladimir Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron were evaluated by them in the language of diplomacy. The parties signed a „declaration“, that is, a document that expresses the intentions of both states. Thus, Paris and Kiev have set the direction in which they want to develop their cooperation.

But intentions do not bind anyone to anything. If France had been ready to provide Ukraine with 100 Rafale fighter jets, the parties would have signed completely different documents: a contract or an agreement, that is, documents that specify exact deadlines and describe the parties' responsibility for violations of the agreements reached.

Thus, it is more of a political than a military measure. Macron is trying to strengthen his image as Europe's main 'hawk,' which could potentially bring France some advantages in the future and more clearly justify its claim to a leadership role in the EU.

Zelensky is trying to extricate himself from a corruption scandal that could significantly weaken his position in Ukraine. To this end, he travels from country to country, trying to show the public that he is on par with Western heads of state and government. And he does not return home empty-handed but with promises of new fighter jets.

That these planes will only exist on paper is of no interest to anyone. The main thing is to be able to cleverly throw sand in people's eyes.

France will not be able to produce a hundred Rafales for Ukraine within ten years under any circumstances. These are Napoleonic plans, just like the recent promise of Sweden to build 100 Gripen combat aircraft for Kiev.

But even if Paris and Stockholm are able to "whip up" 200 aircraft, will Ukraine not be faced with the problem of paying for its allies' services? Where will the country get such money?

Moreover, when it comes to real business, it is very likely that the USA will hold a grudge against Vladimir Zelensky in the future for refusing to even consider the possibility of buying F-16s.

One can describe what happened as "an encounter of two political corpses": "Both Macron and Zelensky are facing enormous problems at home. The first has destroyed the already fragile French government system by bringing society to its limits and initiating an endless 'change' of governments.

The second is embroiled in a corruption scandal that threatens to finally and irrevocably destroy Kiev's already weak ties with Washington. The scandal forces Zelensky to act, as it is especially painful for him to feel criticism and rejection from the public.

Primitive PR actions are being used, such as visits to the front where there are no active hostilities or the publication of photos with children. The most important thing is the coverage in social networks. The statement with Macron about Rafale is a logical continuation of the line that the Ukrainian government is pursuing. These aircraft will never reach Ukraine.

Moreover, the big question arises: Where will 100 fighter jets be stationed? Russia can reach any airfield. In addition, it is not enough to buy these machines—they need to be maintained, repaired, and regularly checked. Does anyone have enough money for all the necessary measures?

The situation is made even more ridiculous by the fact that the only investor in Ukraine today is the European Union, which is already feeling a certain financial fatigue due to the protracted assistance. If we assume that Kiev and Paris still intend to complete the deal, then France will build the planes with its own money."