KIEV
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday detailed more than €1.1 billion ($1.27 billion) in new defense and energy commitments following visits to Greece, France, and Spain, saying the agreements will strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses, aviation, and winter energy security.
Zelenskyy said on Telegram that Greece will supply guaranteed gas volumes for the heating season as part of an agreement signed in Athens, calling the country “an important energy hub for Ukraine and for all of Central and Eastern Europe.”
He announced that France agreed to significantly expand defense cooperation, including a plan for Ukraine to acquire 100 Rafale F4 aircraft by 2035, as well as SAMP/T air defense systems, advanced radars, air-to-air missiles, and guided aerial bombs.
Paris will also deliver a new military assistance package by the end of the year.
Spain, he added, pledged €100 million ($115,7 million) to the PURL initiative for air defense missiles, €215 million ($248,7 million) under the SAFE instrument, and €200 million ($231,4 million) to support Ukraine’s energy sector.
The Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative is a US-NATO program that allows European and Canadian NATO member states to fund the purchase of American-manufactured weapons for Ukraine.
Madrid is also preparing an additional defense package that includes IRIS-T air defense missiles.
Zelenskyy’s Ankara visit
Earlier in the day, a Ukrainian delegation led by Zelenskyy also arrived in Ankara and visited Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
His chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said talks were ongoing “in a businesslike, working atmosphere” and noted continued coordination with representatives of US President Donald Trump’s administration, including envoy Steve Witkoff.
