UWC Vice President: Paris must lead peacekeeper mission in Ukraine after transfer of French-made jets

France should take the lead in forming and deploying European peacekeeping forces to Ukrainian territory following the successful delivery of Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine, said Volodymyr Kogutyak, UWC Vice President for Western Europe and Association of Ukrainians in France (AUF) Vice President.

Foreign peacekeepers, he noted, would help ensure that any future negotiations to end the war are favorable for Ukraine.

“France is not just our partner today – it is a true ally, doing everything possible to help Ukraine win the war against Russia,” Kogutyak said.

He thanked the AUF, Franco-Ukrainian associations, and the Ukrainian Embassy in France for their “tremendous efforts in proving to our French partners that Ukraine urgently needed fighter jets to defend its skies.”

“President Emmanuel Macron is one of the few European leaders who understands the risk of Russia seizing all of Ukraine’s territory and is doing everything to prevent it,” Kogutyak said. “The Ukrainian community in France is deeply grateful for his support and clear understanding of the situation.”

France delivered the first Mirage jets to Ukraine on Feb. 6, as announced by French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu. The transfer had been pledged earlier in 2024.

“On board these jets are Ukrainian pilots who have spent months training in France. They will now join the defense of Ukraine’s skies,” Lecornu said.

The Mirage 2000 is a fourth-generation multirole fighter jet, ArmyInform reported. It was the French Air Force’s main combat aircraft from the late 20th to early 21st century.

The number of Ukrainian pilots trained to fly the Mirage jets hasn’t been publicly disclosed.

“As the French like to remind, their Mirage is the only aircraft confirmed to have shot down the supposedly unbeatable F-16 in aerial combat,” the report said.