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French president says creating Israeli-type air defense network for Ukraine impossible

Emmanuel Macron added that Europe’s resources are limited, and the European Union will continue helping Kiev keeping in mind its own reserves
French President Emmanuel Macron Sergey Guneyev/POOL/TASS
French President Emmanuel Macron
© Sergey Guneyev/POOL/TASS

PARIS, April 19. /TASS/. French President Emmanuel Macron said it would be impossible to build an extensive air defense network in Ukraine similar to the one currently operated by Israel, because the Jewish state has been developing and investing into its air defense shield for decades.

"Israel has been developing its air defense network over the past few decades, investing into it for quite a while. It will be impossible to built exactly the same system that would <…> meet all of Ukraine’s needs," he told reporters after the EU summit in Brussels.

The French leader added that Europe’s resources are limited, and the European Union will continue helping Kiev keeping in mind its own reserves.

On April 15, Zelensky complained that Western partners fail to help his country the same way they helped Israel, although both countries are not NATO members.

On the evening of April 13, Iran launched dozens of drones and missiles toward Israel in response to what it called "repeated crimes" by Tel Aviv, including the attack on the consular office of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, for which it blamed Israel. Tehran said the strikes on Israel targeted exclusively the military sites that were used for the attack on the consulate. The Israel Defense Forces said it intercepted 99% of the nearly 350 projectiles that were launched toward the country. Israel said it was preparing a response to the Iranian strike.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on April 15 that Israel’s sophisticated air defense system, combined with critical assistance, provided by the United States, the United Kingdom and Jordan, were essential for successfully repelling the attack.