France agrees to accelerate missile deliveries and license production in Ukraine

Bilateral agreement on missile deliveries and licensing

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron held a telephone conference lasting nearly two hours on Saturday to address urgent military requirements. The two leaders agreed to accelerate the transfer of advanced French weaponry, prioritizing air defense equipment and specialized interceptor missiles. Paris confirmed that it is prepared to grant official manufacturing licenses that will enable Ukrainian defense enterprises to produce French-designed missiles within Ukraine. The leaders also reviewed Ukraine's defense financing requirements for 2026 and 2027 and evaluated bilateral agreements requiring accelerated execution. Furthermore, Macron committed to engaging international partners possessing Patriot systems to help Kyiv secure additional interceptor munitions.

Response to civilian strikes in Kryvyi Rih

The diplomatic call followed a Russian drone strike on Friday against a shopping mall in Zelenskyy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih, which killed at least 16 civilians and wounded more than 130 others. The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, characterized the bombardment as terror by design, as European leaders condemned the ongoing strikes against urban civilian centers. In a public statement on X, Macron expressed horror at the casualties in Kryvyi Rih and reiterated that targeting civilian populations represents a sign of military weakness rather than strength.

In this context, it is crucial to provide Ukraine with all necessary means to defend its airspace and repel this aggression.

Ukrainian military forces face severe munitions deficits while attempting to counter daily Russian ballistic missile salvos across the country. United Nations data indicates that civilian fatalities in Ukraine throughout 2026 have reached their highest rate since the initial months of the 2022 invasion.

Intelligence sharing and long-range drone strikes

Kyiv has expanded its retaliatory long-range strike operations against targets deep within Russian territory to increase pressure on Moscow to enter negotiations. Ukrainian officials confirmed to the Financial Times that French and United States intelligence agencies provide reconnaissance identifying the coordinates of Russian air defense batteries. Ukrainian mission planners utilize this tracking data to map low-risk flight corridors, allowing Ukrainian-built strike drones to bypass radar coverage and reach rear infrastructure targets. Ukrainian forces have recently altered their operational targeting from surface fires at oil refineries to disabling critical components of Russian energy infrastructure for extended periods.

Coalition summit and air defence timelines

Multilateral coordination on air defense support will continue on Monday when the Coalition of the Willing convenes for a midday meeting. The summit will be co-chaired by Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, marking Burnham's first participation in the coalition leadership. Bilateral discussions between Paris and Kyiv also covered joint diplomatic initiatives and coordination with the administration of the United States president. Long-term equipment upgrades include the Franco-Italian SAMP/T-NG air defense system, which is capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. European diplomats previously noted that the SAMP/T-NG platform will not arrive in Ukrainian service before spring 2027, maintaining Ukraine's immediate reliance on foreign interceptor replenishments.