Zelenskyy and Macron discuss Rafale pilot training and new French defense package in phone call
French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke by phone on Monday, October 5. Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian pilots will soon begin training on French Rafale fighter jets in France and that a new French defense package is being prepared for Ukraine. The two leaders also discussed localizing production of French missiles and aerial bombs in Ukraine and accelerating work on the FREYJA air defense system.
Key points
- Macron and Zelenskyy spoke by phone on October 5, 2025.
- Zelenskyy announced Ukrainian pilots will soon begin training on French Rafale fighter jets in France.
- A new French defense package is being prepared for Ukraine, with its contents discussed during the call.
- Teams from both countries continue working on localizing production of French missiles and aerial bombs in Ukraine.
- Paris and Kyiv are preparing the FREYJA anti-ballistic system; the leaders discussed where to accelerate progress.
- The two leaders agreed to discuss the issues in more detail at an in-person meeting.
- Macron condemned Russia's intensification of strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian targets as a violation of international humanitarian law.
Why it matters
The announced Rafale training marks a concrete step toward Ukraine operating Western fourth-generation fighters as part of its combat aviation, complementing the broader French commitment to transfer 16 Rafale jets, radars, and missiles. A new defense package from France is also in preparation, arriving against a backdrop of Russian threats to intensify strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure ahead of winter.
What happened
On Monday, October 5, French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a phone call. After the conversation, Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian pilots would soon begin training on French Rafale fighter jets in France, describing it as a strong step for Ukrainian combat aviation. He also said new defense supplies are being prepared and that a new package from France is expected in Ukraine soon, with its contents discussed during the call.
The two leaders discussed concrete support France can provide to help Ukraine intercept drones and counter Russian aggression. Teams from both countries continue to work on localizing the production of French missiles and aerial bombs in Ukraine, and Paris and Kyiv are actively preparing the FREYJA anti-ballistic system, with the presidents identifying where to accelerate progress. Zelenskyy and Macron agreed to discuss the issues in more detail at a future in-person meeting.
Macron, reporting the call on X, reaffirmed France's solidarity and full support for Ukraine and said France and Europe would not yield to Russian intimidation or escalation. He said that while Russia is at a dead end on the front line, it stubbornly rejects calls for a ceasefire and is making irresponsible choices by intensifying strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian targets, in violation of fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian sources uniformly center Zelenskyy's announcement of pilot training on Rafale jets in France and foreground concrete defense deliverables: the upcoming training, a new defense package from France, localization of French missile and bomb production, and work on the FREYJA system. Russian strikes are described as a "terrorist escalation" against infrastructure and civilian targets.
Where reporting differs
Some sources describe the planned package as a general new French defense supply package, while others frame it specifically as a package being prepared for imminent arrival in Ukraine — wording varies but the content is consistent across the supplied facts. Le Parisien's reporting refers to a possible delivery of 16 Rafale aircraft in 2028–2029, while the 2025 Macron–Zelenskyy letter of intent refers to up to 100 Rafale fighters by 2035; the two figures come from separate announcements and are not reconciled in the supplied material.
Background
In 2025 Macron and Zelenskyy signed a letter of intent opening the way for Ukraine to acquire up to 100 Rafale fighters by 2035. In July Macron said the first training flights of Ukrainian pilots on Rafale jets would begin in the coming months, and on October 1 French Minister Delegate for Europe Benjamin Haddad said France had already "started work" on the training. Le Parisien reported the previous week that France had begun preparing to train the first Ukrainian pilots ahead of a possible delivery of 16 aircraft in 2028–2029; standard retraining of an experienced combat pilot on the Rafale in France takes about five months. After the Coalition of the Willing meeting in Paris, Macron announced that France would transfer 16 Rafale fighters, radars, and missiles to Ukraine. On October 4 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced in Kyiv a German support package of more than €1.3 billion; Zelenskyy reported that 15 agreements totaling €8.5 billion were concluded with Germany during the visit, including on strengthening air defense and increasing German production of missiles for Patriot and FREYJA systems. Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently warned foreign citizens and diplomatic personnel against staying in Ukraine, including Kyiv, claiming new "massive strikes" will be carried out on the city.