Air cover for Zelensky: How much can stepped-up French support boost Ukraine?
Description
It's much-needed backing from a key ally of Ukraine, along with welcome photo op for a president who's under pressure at home. After a gas deal with Greece, Volodymyr Zelensky is signing a 10-year military pact with France, far from Kyiv where a corruption scandal has brought down two ministers and has the main backer of his 2019 campaign on the run.
It's a welcome respite from the political storm back home and a timely morale boost for Ukraine, a nation that needs all the support it can get at a time when the US is scaling back its commitment to the continent, while Russia's advances in the east come with the nightly poundings targeting electricity supply and other critical infrastructure.
What does the deal with France bring? Beyond fighter jet sales, can EU allies band together on defense? And what does a 10-year deal mean when there’s a presidential election here in 18 months, one where the pro-Kremlin far right currently leads in the polls?
Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Daniel Whittington, Ilayda Habip & Jean-Vincent Russo
United States
