French Air and Space Force multirole fighters Rafale fly during Baltic International Airshow 2026 at Spilve Airfield in Riga, Latvia, 27 June 2026. The event is the largest air show in the Baltic and takes place on June 27 and 28 in Riga. EPA/TOMS KALNINS “Earlier this afternoon President (Volodymyr) Zelenskiy and I agreed on a roadmap between our two countries, implementing what had been agreed in principle last November regarding our bilateral defense cooperation,” Macron said at a news conference following a meeting of some 25 leaders in Paris.
Macron’s announcement marked the first time France has agreed to licence production to Ukraine, a move that would enable it to ramp up stocks at a time when Russia is intensifying strikes on the country.
The production centres around AASM precision-guided air-to-ground bombs, Aster air-defence interceptor missiles and SCALP, long-range air-launched cruise missiles, which Britain also produces.
Macron said radar systems were also being ceded to Ukraine. He said Zelenskiy had also ordered the delivery of next generation SAMP-T air defence systems, which would follow deliveries of the older version and a batch of missiles.
Sixteen Rafale warplanes would also be delivered with a view to operating in Ukraine’s skies by 2028-2029, Macron said.
Macron also said Ukraine’s allies had agreed to begin military exercises in countries neighbouring Ukraine as part of a plan for a multinational force that would deploy once there is a ceasefire with Russia.
(Reporting by John Irish, Editing by Dominique Vidalon)