Macron Promises Interceptor Missile Support to Ukraine Amid Air Defense Depletion

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that he will provide interceptor missiles to Ukraine, which is facing a depleted air defense network.

Writing on X (formerly Twitter) on the 22nd (local time), President Macron stated, "Following the high number of casualties at a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih caused by two daytime Russian airstrikes, I spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy," adding, "It is crucial to support Ukraine with all necessary means to defend its airspace and repel the aggression."

Mentioning the missile defense coalition involving nine European countries, Macron added, "I informed President Zelenskyy that we will provide interceptor missiles and step up our support."

Nine countries, including France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, agreed last month to form a "Combined Ballistic Missile Defense Coalition" with Ukraine to build joint defense capabilities.

Previously, in November of last year, France signed a letter of intent to sell 100 Rafale fighter jets to Ukraine and decided to deploy the SAMP-T air defense system—jointly developed with Italy—to Ukraine starting this year.

President Zelenskyy also stated that he discussed the depletion of air defense systems with President Macron on this day, and that they agreed to accelerate the delivery of cutting-edge equipment from the French side.

Ukraine has been appealing to various nations for air defense support as consecutive large-scale casualties continue to occur due to recent Russian airstrikes.

Western leaders, including President Macron, plan to hold a meeting of the so-called "Coalition of the Willing" on the 24th to review the readiness of support for Ukraine.

Although France spearheaded the creation of the Coalition of the Willing alongside the United Kingdom, it has faced criticism for being tight-fisted with practical support relative to its status as Europe's third-largest economy.

According to data compiled by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy in Germany, from the outbreak of the war in February 2022 through June of this year, France's assistance amount to Ukraine was smaller than that of the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway.

Its scale of support relative to gross domestic product ranks 13th among European nations.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.