During the official visit to Kyiv by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, agreements were reached to deepen intergovernmental cooperation between Ukraine and France. The negotiations covered key areas, including defense, finance, issues of national recovery, and sanctions policy against Russia.
This is reported by Finway
Increased Military Support and Production in Ukraine
“French colleagues saw how Kyiv lives after nighttime attacks. And this greatly strengthens the conversation about drones, air defense, and fighters. They are needed right now. So one of the topics is increasing military assistance and transitioning to joint production in Ukraine,”
According to Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, one of the priority issues remains the increase of military assistance to Ukraine, as well as the organization of joint production of defense equipment directly on the territory of the state.
New Fund to Support the Economy and Strategic Partnership
During the meeting, Ukraine and France signed two important declarations. The first provides for the establishment of a new fund worth €200 million. Its funds will be directed towards supporting critical infrastructure and economic development in Ukraine starting from 2026. As Svyrydenko emphasized, the demand for the previous support program significantly exceeded budgetary capabilities—by 200%, indicating a high level of interest from businesses in both countries in joint projects.
The second declaration concerns the preparation of an intergovernmental agreement on strategic cooperation in the fields of defense, energy, digital technologies, and the development of the critical minerals sector. The planned partnership will encompass not only investments but also technology exchange, cooperation, and expanding access for Ukrainian companies to European Union markets.