Joint Statement of the President of the French Republic Emmanuel MACRON and the President of Ukraine Volodymyr ZELENSKY.

We, Presidents of Ukraine and France, met today in Chișinău, Republic of Moldova, on the margins of the Second European Political Community Summit.

The Presidents of Ukraine and France reiterated their agreement, reached during the bilateral meeting in Paris on May 14, 2023 to help to protect Ukraine’s population against Russian strikes through France’s support to air defence capabilities of Ukraine.

As it was agreed at the 12th meeting in the Ramstein format on May 25, 2023 we confirmed the readiness to develop the framework to start the training of Ukrainian combat aircraft pilots when appropriate for Ukranian Air Force.

Сonsidering parallel consultations with the US and others willing countries, we have tasked our ministers of defense to work together in order to prepare formal decision on concrete scope and the mechanism of the training of pilots and technical staff, based on the request of the Ukrainian side, to be taken at the next Ramstein meeting with all nations part of the fighter pilots' training initiative.