Ukraine to buy 16 Rafale jets and produce missiles under licence after Paris coalition talks
France and Ukraine concluded an agreement for 16 Rafale fighter jets and licensed production of missiles at the Willing Coalition summit in Paris on 13 July, as Moldova joined the group and Moscow condemned the gathering.
The Rafale deal and licensed production
France and Ukraine concluded an agreement at the Willing Coalition summit in Paris on 13 July that will see Kyiv acquire 16 Rafale multirole fighter jets alongside air defence systems and licensed missile production. Emmanuel Macron announced the roadmap after the meeting:
The first of which are to fly in Ukrainian skies only from 2028-2029.
The package also includes a first tranche of next-generation SAMP/T surface-to-air batteries (supplementing deliveries due in the coming weeks), radars, and licensed manufacture within Ukraine of AASM guided bombs, Aster 30 anti-air missiles and Scalp cruise missiles.
- Willing Coalition launched with 37 member states
- Paris summit: Rafale deal announced, Moldova joins coalition
- First Rafale jets expected to be delivered to Ukraine
Coalition meeting and Moldova's accession
The Coalition of the Willing, a political and diplomatic coordination format co-chaired by France, the United Kingdom and Germany, convened with 37 member states (the Romanian presidency earlier cited 35). For the first time, Moldova participated, its president Maia Sandu attending at Macron's invitation. Chișinău stated that membership is compatible with the country's constitutional neutrality because the coalition is a flexible cooperation framework that already includes other neutral European states.
Romanian president Nicușor Dan took part and used the platform to stress that security in the Black Sea remains an immediate priority. In a message on X, later repeated on Facebook, he said:
Investing in Ukraine's defense and security is an investment in our own security, and Ukraine must be capable of negotiating peace from a position of strength.
He added that Romania would continue to act as a responsible ally and reliable partner, and he welcomed Moldova's accession.
Moscow's condemnation
The Kremlin swiftly dismissed the gathering. Spokesman Dmitri Peskov told the TASS news agency:
I would call it a coalition of warriors. This group of countries does not want peace, but rather the continuation of the war. It is a coalition of fanatics who are deluding themselves about the possibility of inflicting a strategic defeat on our country.
His remarks were published hours before the meeting got under way, setting a confrontational tone for the two-day talks.
Security guarantees and further agenda
The coalition, launched in 2025, aims to prepare security guarantees for Ukraine and to support peace-building after a potential agreement between the warring parties. According to the Romanian presidency, Nicușor Dan would highlight the link between Ukraine's security and that of the whole of Europe, with special emphasis on NATO and the EU's Eastern Flank. The summit agenda also covered progress since the G7 Evian summit, continued support for Ukraine's defence, intensifying pressure on Russia (including combating its so‑called shadow fleet), and an operational planning review for Ukraine's post‑war security architecture. German chancellor Friedrich Merz, British prime minister Keir Starmer and French president Macron co‑chaired the meeting, which runs through Tuesday.
