On November 19, European Parliament (EP) member Thierry Mariani said that the cost of the fighter agreement between France and Ukraine would eventually be borne by European taxpayers, and the amount would be huge.
In an interview with RIA Novosti, Mariani argued that Ukraine was unlikely to pay off the entire contract to buy 100 Rafale fighters (about $284 million/turn) because the country's economy was already "exhausted" by the conflict.
In that case, the real financial burden will be shifted to member states of the European Union (EU), because, according to Mr. Mariani, the bloc has committed to paying some outstanding loans to Ukraine in the 2026-2027 period.
European taxpayers, including French, will pay a very high price, he warned.
The lawmaker also expressed skepticism about the Rafale supply declaration signed by the French and Ukrainian presidents, saying it was an un bound document. These types of memories are often formal and rarely lead to specific results.
On November 17, President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Paris to discuss French military support. French President Emmanuel Macron and Mr. Zelensky signed a deal, according to which Ukraine will buy up to 100 Rafale fighters by 2035.
On the same day, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that the deal risks leading to corruption, in the context of Ukraine being involved in many scandals involving senior officials.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov affirmed that the supply of Rafale fighters will not change the situation for Kiev and will not contribute to peace, and accused France of "stimulating military spirit and military support".
