France delivered its first batch of warplanes to Ukraine as part of European efforts to strengthen Kyiv’s hand in its war with Russia and show Paris’ commitment as the United States mulls its support to Ukraine. President Emmanuel Macron last June vowed to train Ukrainian pilots to fly Dassault-made Mirage 2000 fighter jets, crossing a new line in military support to Kyiv. “With Ukrainian pilots on board who have been trained for several months in France, they will now participate in defending the skies of Ukraine,” Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu wrote on social media platform X.
