France is prepared to collaborate with Ukraine on developing anti-ballistic missile capabilities, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The head of state announced this on Telegram on May 16, following a conversation with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.
Zelenskyy stated that he and the French leader discussed “numerous matters” and “coordinated on all fronts.”
“I thanked Emmanuel for his principled condemnation of Russian attacks on our cities and communities. These strikes very clearly demonstrate what Russia is and why we all need to strengthen our collective defense against all threats. France is ready to work on anti-ballistics. This is a strong decision and an important step. We also discussed enhancing our capabilities to repel Russian attacks right now,” the president said.
Additionally, according to him, the discussion touched upon the European track and the imminent opening of all negotiation clusters with the European Union.
“France supports Ukraine and understands how crucial this step is for all Ukrainians. Emmanuel informed me about his visit to African countries. We talked about the importance of joint coordination in this area, as it is equally vital for Ukraine. We agreed on our contacts in the near future,” Zelenskyy added.
The president has repeatedly mentioned his requests to the United States for licenses to produce Patriot air defense systems. Specifically, in an interview with Le Parisien in December 2024, he noted that “apparently, no one is against it,” but “we still haven’t received anything.” That same month, the head of state estimated Ukraine’s need for Patriots at 10-12 units.
On February 17, 2026, Zelenskyy stated that Europe could have accelerated its air defense enhancement if it had obtained licenses for missile production, but the U.S. ultimately did not agree to this.
At the end of March, he mentioned that Ukraine is working on the possibility of producing its own anti-ballistic missiles.
Source: suspilne.media