French President Emmanuel Macron confirms France will supply Ukraine with interceptor missiles to bolster air defense.
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that France will supply Ukraine with interceptor missiles as part of an enhanced support package. This decision follows a nearly two-hour phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 22, where the two leaders discussed defense financing for 2026-2027 and international mobilization for peace efforts. Macron stated that the delivery of interceptors aligns with commitments made during the Anti-Missile Coalition meeting in Paris. He urged other nations with air defense capabilities to contribute to the other effort, noting that Russia’s systematic targeting of civilians reveals a position of weakness. The discussions also included France’s willingness to assist Ukraine in securing Patriot missile systems from international partners and granting licenses for domestic missile production. Additionally, French and U.S. intelligence shared data to help Ukraine map Russian air-defense deployments. This data allows Ukrainian drones to evade interception and reach targets deep inside Russia, specifically targeting hard-to-replace components in Russia's energy industry to increase financial costs for Moscow.