Ukraine Signs Intent to Buy Warplanes  11/17 06:20

   

   PARIS (AP) -- Ukraine signed a letter of intent to buy up to 100 Rafale 
warplanes from France, the Ukrainian Embassy and the French president's office 
said.

   Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron 
signed the document on Monday stating that Ukraine is considering the 
possibility of buying French defense equipment, including Rafale jet fighters, 
Macron's office said. It did not provide further details.

   Zelenskyy was on his ninth visit to Paris since Russia's full-scale invasion 
in February 2022. His talks are meant to strengthen Ukraine's defenses as the 
country enters another winter under Russian bombardment of its energy 
infrastructure and other targets.

   On Monday morning, Macron and Zelenskyy visited an air base in the Paris 
outskirts, before heading to the headquarters of a multinational force, dubbed 
the "coalition of the willing," that France and Britain have been preparing 
with more than 30 other nations to police an eventual ceasefire in Ukraine.

   Zelenskyy wrote on X on Sunday that he looked forward to a "historic deal 
with France in Paris to strengthen our combat aviation and air defense."

   Last month, Ukraine and Sweden signed an agreement exploring the possibility 
of Ukraine buying up to 150 Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets over the next 
decade or more. Ukraine has already received American-made F-16s and French 
Mirages.