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What France promised Ukraine on 12 October 2022
Summary
A look back at the French pledge of air defence and radar, made as warnings about Belarus circulated.
What did Ukraine's partners offer as fears of a new offensive grew? On 12 October 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would send radar and air defence systems to Ukraine "in the coming weeks".
The announcement came a day after reports that thousands of Russian troops were entering Belarus by the "trainload". On 11 October 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned G7 nations that Russia was planning another offensive against Kyiv, with direct Belarusian involvement.
The troop movements were reported a day after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko accused Ukraine of planning to launch an attack on his country.
Taken together, the reports from 11 and 12 October 2022 show two developments running side by side: warnings from Kyiv about a possible new threat from the north, and a public French commitment of air defence and radar equipment.
