French President Emmanuel Macron said on June 6 that his country will transfer a number of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Kiev and train Ukrainian pilots.
The announcement was made by the French leader as he joined Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Joe Biden and other world leaders at a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day – the day more than 150,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, marking the beginning of the liberation of France and Europe from Nazi Germany during World War II (June 6, 1944 - June 6, 2024).
“Tomorrow we will launch a new partnership and announce the delivery of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets made by the French manufacturer Dassault to Ukraine and the training of their Ukrainian pilots in France,” Macron said in a live interview with French media at the end of the ceremony.
Mr Macron did not specify how many planes Ukraine would receive or give a delivery timeline.
However, the Elysee chief added that Ukrainian officials, including Mr Zelensky, had asked all allies about 48 hours earlier for more support for Kiev in its fight against Russian forces, which began in February with fierce fighting and has led to what many experts say has been a stalemate on the ground for months.
“There is a challenge of capacity,” Macron said, adding that he did not want an escalation, stressing that “ peace ” could only be achieved if Ukraine was able to defend itself. Macron also told Zelensky in Ukrainian: “We are there and we will not let you down,” according to Politico.
A Mirage 2000-5F fighter jet takes off from an air base in France, March 2022. Photo: Getty Images
“This is somewhat interesting and a departure from the long-held view that only F-16s are for Ukraine,” retired US Air Force Colonel Jeffrey Fischer told Newsweek via the Signal messaging app after Macron's announcement.
But Mr Fischer also echoed concerns of others about whether the additional weapons would give Ukraine significant military advantages.
The Mirage 2000 is a multirole fighter aircraft designed in the late 1970s and entered service in 1984. It can carry a wide range of air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles and weapons, including laser-guided bombs.
The Mirage 2000-5 version has an upgraded radar system and can carry drop-in fuel tanks, which greatly increases its range. It is a fourth-generation fighter, meaning it is in the same class as the US-made F-16 Fighting Falcon.
Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said at a press conference in Vilnius that the Netherlands plans to start delivering F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine this fall after Denmark begins delivering its aircraft in the summer.
The Netherlands has previously pledged to supply 24 US-made fourth-generation jets to Ukraine as Kiev seeks to bolster its Air Force.
The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Belgium have pledged to provide Ukraine with dozens of F-16 jets. Denmark, the Netherlands and the United States led an international coalition formed last year to provide Kiev with F-16 fighter jets and train Ukrainian pilots .
Minh Duc (According to Newsweek, Kyiv Independent)
Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/ong-macron-noi-voi-ong-zelensky-chung-toi-se-khong-lam-ong-that-vong-204667285.htm
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