ALBAWABA - France has confirmed plans to send Ukraine Mirage 2000 fighter jets and Aster air defense missiles in the next few days. President Emmanuel Macron called this a "decisive step" to strengthen Kyiv's defenses as Russian attacks become more frequent.
Macron promised "continued and intensified support" for Ukraine's military efforts during a video call at the "Coalition of the Willing" meeting in London on Friday. He told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other leaders that "in the next few days, France will send more Aster missiles, start new training programs, and send Mirage 2000 jets."
Mark Rutte, the Secretary-General of NATO, welcomed the move and said that the alliance's united stance is starting to put pressure on the Kremlin. "Putin's money, people, and ideas are running out." Rutte said, "Now is the time to put more pressure on," and he added that Russia's small gains on the battlefield have come at "a heavy cost."
Rutte said that the U.S. recently put sanctions on major Russian oil companies, which would make it even harder for Moscow to pay for its war. This would make it more likely that Russia would agree to talks. He said that President Donald Trump is "still reviewing the proposal" for Ukraine's request for American Tomahawk missiles.
Russian troops also fired missiles and drones at Kyiv early Saturday morning, hurting at least eight civilians and setting several buildings on fire. Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of the city, said that several districts were hit and called the attack a "ballistic attack."
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin has told Kyiv to give up any plans to join NATO or other Western military alliances. Ukraine has refused to do this. Even though Russia is slowly moving forward in the east and south, Western officials think that Moscow's military and economic power is running out.
