Ukraine is forging a new defense model built on European jets and EU funds, a stark pivot from its previous reliance on US support. This shift has been crystallized in a “historical” 10-year pact with France for 100 Rafale jets and a recent letter of intent with Sweden for 150 Saab jets. This new reality is the direct result of the Trump administration halting aid and insisting that European allies must pay for Ukraine’s defense.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, who signed the French deal in Paris, is now building a long-term security architecture with European capitals. The 10-year French pact is comprehensive, also including eight “world-class” SAMP/T air defense systems, radars, and drones, all sourced and paid for without American involvement.
The financing for this new European-led defense strategy is also purely European. The French presidency confirmed that the EU’s €150 billion SAFE loan fund will be used. Zelensky added that Kyiv would also deploy funds from a G7 mechanism leveraging future revenues from frozen Russian assets, another initiative being driven by the EU.
This new hardware is desperately needed to counter Russia’s brutal air war. Moscow’s intensified strikes with missiles and glide bombs have made air defense Kyiv’s top priority. The French and Swedish deals provide a massive, long-term upgrade to Ukraine’s air force and ground-based defenses.
While Ukraine is still set to receive F-16s from NATO allies—a program initiated before the US aid halt—its future air force will be predominantly European. This “historical” pact with France marks the most significant step in that transition, cementing a deep industrial and military alliance with Paris for the next decade.