A recently announced «historic agreement» for France to supply Rafale fighter jets to Ukraine — signed by Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Zelensky — has prompted surprise across the European Union, Politico reports, citing diplomatic sources.

According to one senior European diplomat quoted by the outlet, Kyiv’s plan to acquire Rafale jets on top of Swedish Gripen fighters has raised eyebrows among EU officials. The publication notes that neither Ukraine nor France currently has the financial capacity to purchase 100 Rafale aircraft over the next decade. The source added that the entire deal hinges heavily on access to frozen Russian assets held in the West.

France, for its part, has no intention of pulling Rafale jets from its own inventory or placing Ukraine ahead of existing buyers. Meanwhile, Dassault Aviation — the company producing the fighters — is considering boosting output to five aircraft per month, though production lines are already packed with orders.

A Ukrainian military official told the publication that even with funding secured, rapid delivery is unlikely due to a long and growing queue of international customers.

Experts cited by Politico point out that implementing the agreement would take years and would not address Ukraine’s immediate military challenges. They also stress that maintaining a fleet of 200–250 Western aircraft — the scale Kyiv envisions — is impossible without substantial external financial and technical support.

Earlier, Russian military analyst Vasily Dandikin argued that French fighter jets would not alter the course of the conflict for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.