Russia on Tuesday slammed France signing a deal to possibly provide up to 100 Rafale fighter jets to Ukraine as fueling the war.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky signed a letter of intent setting out future weapons supplies during a visit by Zelensky to Paris on Monday.
“Paris is in no way contributing to peace, but rather fueling militaristic and pro-war sentiment,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, in response to a question by AFP.
France has delivered Mirage fighter jets to Kyiv, but until now there had been no talk of Ukraine acquiring the Rafale, the crown jewel of French combat aviation.
Throughout the war, Russia has slammed NATO countries for supplying arms to Ukraine and said they make no difference on the battlefield.
“No matter what aircraft are sold to the Kiev regime, this will not change the situation on the front lines and cannot change the dynamics,” Peskov said Tuesday.