Ukraine and France agree on joint weapons production

Kyiv and Paris have agreed on the joint production of weapons on the territories of Ukraine and France, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Telegram social media platform, Report informs via Interfax-Ukraine.

"Together with France's Minister of the Armed Forces, Catherine Vautrin, we signed a letter of intent on the joint production of weapons on the territories of Ukraine and France. This opens the way for large-scale joint projects in the defense industry. We are moving from supplies to joint production and long-term solutions that systematically strengthen our defense," Fedorov wrote.

The minister also noted that the French side had informed Ukraine about preparations to transfer Mirage 2000 aircraft.

"We also discussed accelerating aircraft deliveries 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 joint work to improve the SAMP/T system to more effectively counter ballistic threats. At the same time, cooperation continues on the supply and accelerated production of Aster missiles," Fedorov said.

The sides separately discussed the provision of long-range strike capabilities to Ukraine, including SCALP missiles.

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