France has expressed its readiness to accept additional pilots for training on Mirage aircraft. This became known following a telephone conversation between the President of Ukraine and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.
"The conversation included a detailed discussion on strengthening Ukraine’s air defense, in particular the supply of missiles for the SAMP/T systems and the financing of interceptor drones. The parties agreed to prepare joint decisions with partners at the level of Defense and Foreign Ministers regarding new steps to protect the lives of Ukrainians from Russian strikes," the President's Office also said in a statement.
In addition, the leaders discussed further steps in the coalition of the willing format and the implementation of the agreements reached at the recent meeting in Rome. The President of Ukraine also thanked France for its contribution to the implementation and promotion of the 18th package of EU sanctions.
The Mirage 2000 is a multi-role single-engine jet fighter aircraft that dates back to the 1970s. It has been in service with the French Air Force since the 1980s. As part of its fleet renewal, France plans to gradually phase out the aircraft and replace them with the more modern Rafale fighter by 2030.
Last summer, Emmanuel Macron announced that France would send Mirage 2000-5 aircraft to Ukraine and train pilots to fly the jets by the end of the year. Later in the summer of 2024, the French newspaper Le Monde reported that the French Air Force had committed to certifying the training of 26 Ukrainians over two years.
Already in the fall of 2024, French Defense Minister Sebastian Lecornu stated that Mirage aircraft would be delivered to Ukraine in the first quarter of 2025. However, he did not announce the number of fighters. In February of this year, the minister announced that the first Mirages had arrived in Ukraine.