Ukraine and France sign letter of intent on joint arms production

Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin have signed a Letter of Intent on joint production of weapons in Ukraine and France.

"Together with the Minister of the Armed Forces of France, Catherine Vautrin signed a Letter of Intent on joint production of weapons in Ukraine and France. This paves the way for large-scale joint projects in the field of the defense-industrial complex. We are moving from supplies to joint production and long-term solutions that systematically strengthen our defense," Fedorov wrote in a telegram.

The Minister noted that the French side reported on preparations for the transfer of Mirage 2000 aircraft to Ukraine.

"We also discussed accelerating the supply of aircraft and continuing work on record volumes of AASM Hammer guided aerial bombs. Ukraine is interested in further supplies of SAMP/T, Mistral and Crotale systems, as well as ammunition for them. We proposed to work together on improving SAMP/T to more effectively counter ballistic threats. In parallel, cooperation is ongoing on the supply and acceleration of production of Aster missiles," Fedorov informed.

Separately, the parties discussed the provision of long-range weapons, in particular SCALP missiles.

"We focused on joint projects between the governments and defense companies of Ukraine and France: testing security solutions and developing innovative electronic warfare systems. We also agreed on key priorities for defense cooperation and discussed financing joint projects, in particular with the help of a European Union loan and the SAFE program," the Minister emphasized.

Fedorov thanked France for its consistent political and military support for Ukraine. "This partnership directly strengthens our defense and the security of all of Europe," he added.