French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot confirmed today that French "Mirage" fighter jets will begin guarding the skies of Ukraine by the end of the first quarter of 2025. This became clear from an interview with Barrot for radio "Sud", quoted by Ukrinform and BTA.
"French "Mirage" fighter jets will soon fly over Ukraine. "This will happen by the end of this quarter, as previously announced by the president and the armed forces," Barrot said.
Earlier, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu discussed the preparation and transfer of the fighters, although their exact number was not specified.
The French foreign minister did not answer the question of whether France would send its troops as part of an international contingent for a peacekeeping mission and ensuring the security of Ukraine. However, he stressed the need for France, Europe and to some extent the US to play a key role in securing peace once it is achieved.
"Our priority right now is to ensure that the Ukrainians start negotiations under the best possible conditions and in a strong position", he stressed, adding that it is important to strengthen Ukraine's position right now.
Barrot also mentioned European efforts in support of Ukraine, which include the provision of some of the frozen Russian assets and the implementation of new sanctions against Russia.
"This year, Ukraine will receive 1 billion euros per month through the redistribution of frozen Russian assets. We are also working on the 16th sanctions package," Barrot said.
It was also reported that Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron discussed security cooperation and continued support for Ukraine during their meeting in Poland.
On another important issue, the French Foreign Ministry categorically rejected Donald Trump's proposal to forcibly relocate Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan, calling it "unacceptable".
"Any forced displacement of people in Gaza would not only be a serious violation of international law, but also a major obstacle to a two-state solution and a destabilizing factor for our close partners Egypt and Jordan," a ministry spokesman said, quoted by Agence France-Presse.
Trump had previously suggested that Jordan, Egypt and other Arab countries accept an increased number of Palestinian refugees from Gaza, in order to be "cleared" the war-torn area.
However, Barro pointed out that Egypt and Jordan are categorically opposed to such a displacement of Gazans and stressed the need for a two-state solution to the conflict to achieve peace in the Middle East.
"The deportment of Palestinians to neighboring countries is incompatible with a solution to the conflict," he added.
The "Hamas" group and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas criticized Trump's proposal, while Qatar reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution to the conflict - Palestine and Israel.