Macron says France will provide Ukraine with its Mirage combat aircraft to fend off Russian attacks

By SAMYA KULLAB and SYLVIE CORBET
Associated Press

KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron says France will provide Ukraine with its Mirage combat aircraft to be able to defend their country against Russian aggression. Macron said in an interview on Thursday with French public broadcaster that he will announce on Friday “a new cooperation with Ukraine and the sale of Mirage 2005, the French-made combat aircraft which will “allow Ukraine to protect its soil, its airspace” against Russian attacks. He says France will also start training Ukrainian pilots and reiterated that Ukraine should be allowed to use weapons provided by its Western allies to target Russian military targets and “neutralize the points from which (the country) is being attacked.”