Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, Paris, November 17, 2025 (Sarah Meyssonnier/AFP)

Monday’s Coverage: 3+ Murdered in Russian Attacks on Odesa and Kharkiv

Ukraine and France have agreed to start joint weapons production.

Ukraine Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov annnounced the agreement on Monday after hosting his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin in Kyiv. The two signed a letter of intent for “large-scale joint projects in the defense-industrial sector”.

“We are moving from supplies to joint production and long-term solutions that systematically strengthen our defencs,” he posted.

The agreement did not specify what arms will be produced or will manufacturing would start.

Fedorov and Vautrin also discussed new shipments of French weapons and military equipment to Ukraine, including Aster missiles, Mirage 2000 fighter jets, and SAMP-T air defense systems.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Kyiv will open 10 weapons export centers during 2026 in Europe, including in Baltic and Northern European countries. He added:

In mid-February, we will see the production of our drones in Germany. I will receive the first drone. This is a fully operational production line. In the UK, similar production lines are already running….

Today, Europe’s security is built on technology and drones. All of this will be based largely on Ukrainian technology and Ukrainian specialists.

In his nightly address to the nation on Monday, Zelensky added: