The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, communicated this Saturday that Paris will send a new batch of interceptor missiles to Ukraine, in direct response to the latest requests from Kiev due to the shortage of defenses against Russian missile attacks.
"I have informed President Zelensky of the strengthening of our support with the deployment of interceptors and the continuation of our cooperation in line with the inaugural meeting of the Ballistic Missile Defense Coalition held in Paris on July 13 and the declaration of intentions signed on November 17, 2025," the French head of state noted on his social media.
In that message, Macron also conveyed to his Ukrainian counterpart his "horror" and "deep sorrow" for the recent attack against a shopping center in Krivoi Rog, in which at least 16 people have died and 130 have been injured, an event he linked to the urgency of supplying these interceptors to "give Ukraine all the necessary means to defend its airspace."
The French leader also called for other governments to get involved in this effort: "It is essential that all countries with the means at their disposal also join this support effort," he stated, while denouncing the latest Russian bombings as "systematic attacks on civilians."
"Russia is likely trying to project power, but above all it demonstrates its weakness," Macron indicated, defending the need to "continue increasing pressure on Russia." In his opinion, "Russia is trying to bend Ukraine through terror: it will not succeed." "United in our support for Ukraine, we will ensure that law and justice prevail over force," he insisted.
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later explained that he had a two-hour phone conversation with Macron, focused on this reinforcement of air defense and the need for Kiev to have more interceptor missiles for the U.S. Patriot system.
"Volodymyr Zelensky thanked President Macron for confirming France's readiness to approve the issuance of licenses for missile production," the Ukrainian Presidency stated in an official communiqué, emphasizing that both leaders "agreed on measures to open additional diplomatic opportunities" and discussed the funding of Ukrainian defenses in 2026 and 2027.
Next Monday, Macron is scheduled to travel to Kiev to meet with the leaders of the countries that make up the Volunteer Coalition, led by France and the United Kingdom. Attending the meeting will be Macron himself, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and the new British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham.
"We have also talked about the meeting of the Volunteer Coalition that will take place this Monday, about our mobilization to achieve the peace that the Ukrainian people legitimately aspire to, with respect for their rights and with all the necessary security guarantees for Ukraine and for our continent," concluded Macron.