France is working to deliver Mirage fighter jets to Ukraine in early 2025, - Ambassador Veyer
France is working to ensure that Ukraine can receive Mirage fighter jets in the first quarter of 2025. So far, everything is going according to plan.
This was stated by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Ukraine Gael Veyer in an interview with NV, Censor.NET reports.
The diplomat explained that the dates of delivery of Mirage combat aircraft are tied to the training of pilots and maintenance personnel.
"The French Minister of Defense has publicly stated that the first aircraft will be delivered in the first quarter of 2025, between January and March. We have calculated this period taking into account the training of pilots, mechanics and everything else necessary. We are working on it, and as far as I know, everything is going according to plan," said Veyer.
The ambassador did not name the exact number of planes that Paris could supply to Kyiv. Earlier, however, French MP Frank Gilletti said that it would be six Mirage 2000-5Fs.
When asked by journalists whether France plans to increase the number of aircraft deliveries, Veyer said:
"We will do everything we can. We also have international partners who use the French Mirage, and they may be interested in joining this initiative."
The diplomat also noted that the number of French Mirage in Europe is several times less than the number of F-16s.
Earlier, Censor.NET reported that French leader Emmanuel Macron officially announced that his country would provide Ukraine with Mirage 2000 fighters. He also announced the start of training and maintenance of these aircraft.
Also, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that the first Mirage 2000 fighters would arrive in early 2025.
French media reported that France would supply Ukraine with the first batch of three Mirage 2000 fighter jets in early 2025.
