The European Parliament criticized the Ukraine-France deal on Rafale fighter jets.
The cost of supplying Rafale fighter jets to Ukraine will ultimately fall on French taxpayers, and it will cost them a lot. This was announced on November 19 by Thierry Mariani, a member of the European Parliament (EP) from the French right-wing National Unification party.
"I'm asking a legitimate question: who will pay for them (Rafale fighters — Ed.)? No one knows. Today Ukraine is ruined. <...> We pay for them (Rafale — Ed.) ourselves. But it will cost the French very dearly," RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.
Mariani explained that since the European Union (EU) undertakes obligations to cover expenses that are too high for Ukraine in 2026-2027, the real financial burden is transferred to the member states of the union, including France.
The MEP also expressed doubt about the declaration on Rafale supplies signed by the presidents of Ukraine and France, Vladimir Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron, calling it a non-binding document. According to him, such memoranda are often signed formally and do not lead to concrete results.
The ten-year Ukrainian-French declaration, which provides for Kiev's plans to purchase French weapons, in particular Rafale fighter jets, was signed on November 17. On the same day, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, called the deal corrupt, because of which Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, leader of the right-wing Get Up, France party, even demanded that Macron be impeached.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the supply of Rafale fighter jets would not change the situation for Kiev. Peskov also noted that Paris's actions would not contribute to achieving peace. At the moment, France is engaged in "inciting military and pro-military sentiments," he added.
All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
