Ukraine and France agreed to start a new program for training Ukrainian Air Force officers to master the new air defense system.

In France, a fund was created through which orders for the military-industrial complex will be accepted from Ukraine.

The country has already chosen several directions to help Ukraine overcome Russian aggression, French Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu said after a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksiy Reznikov.

“We discussed Ukraine’s military needs for the coming weeks and 2023. France has chosen several directions for assistance to Ukraine. The first is the transfer of French military equipment to the Ukrainian army at the beginning of next year. The second direction of assistance is the European Peace Fund, which is an important tool, the strength and power of Europe to support Ukraine. France makes a large contribution to this fund – 500 million euros. And the third direction is a fund created in France, through which Ukraine can address orders to the French military industry,” said Lecorniu.

He added that there is a constant exchange of information between the armed forces of Ukraine and France. Lecornu also emphasized that the experience of Ukrainian defenders is also important for the French Armed Forces. Therefore, according to him, during military exercises, there is an exchange of experience at the same time, and the knowledge and skills of Ukrainian servicemen are very valuable and useful.

The Minister of Defense of Ukraine informed his colleague about the current situation on the war fronts and noted that Western, and in particular, French weapons are one of the important factors that help Ukraine destroy the enemy and protect the Ukrainian sky from Russian missiles.

“Today, we emphasized the list of priorities for Ukraine in order to win this war. It concerns air, anti-missile, anti-drone defenses to protect our skies, increasing the number of 155-caliber heavy artillery and ammunition. After all, the powerful Caesar guns used on battlefield, need high-quality shells,” said Reznikov.

According to him, the Defense Forces of Ukraine also need armored vehicles.

“In addition, we agreed on the start of a new training program for our Air Force officers to prepare and master the new air defense system, which we will announce later. The role of the French Republic is one of the key ones in the joint fight against Russian aggression to protect common European values,” he stressed. Reznikov.

The interlocutors also touched on the issues of accounting and transparency of military aid. Representatives of the foreign delegation were presented with a briefing on the implementation of the LOGFAS logistics system, which allows monitoring the supply and movement of Western weapons and international technical assistance to Ukraine. Attention was also focused on the rehabilitation and treatment of Ukrainian servicemen in French medical facilities and the initiation of long-term projects with French defense companies.

Military aid from France

In November, Ukraine received Crotale anti-aircraft systems from France to protect the sky.

On December 1, US Presidents Joe Biden and French Emmanuel Macron promised in a joint statement to provide Ukraine with air defense systems and equipment needed to repair energy facilities damaged by enemy attacks.

On December 20, French President Emmanuel Macron said that in the first quarter of 2023, France plans to send new 155 mm Caesar self-propelled artillery units and other defense assistance to Ukraine.