Thomas Gassilloud, chairman of the National Assembly’s National Defense and Armed Forces Committee, added that “things are moving fast.”
He spoke on a visit to London after the US, Germany and other allies followed suit Britainguiding in agreeing the delivery Kiev with main battle tanks for the expected Ukrainian and Russian spring offensives.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is now begging the West to also send fighter jets and longer-range missiles.
When asked by the Standard whether France could supply planes, Mr. Gassilloud: “As far as deliveries to Ukraine are concerned, we have to examine requests on a case-by-case basis and leave all doors open.
“So we’ll see what happens next in the next few weeks because things are moving fast.”
Pressed on the delivery of aircraft, he added: “The Danes and Eastern European countries are thinking about it.”
Dutch ministers have also indicated that their country may send US-built F-16 jets.
Mr Gassilloud, an ally of French President Macron, believes three conditions will be met when France considers sending fighter jets.
They are that any supplies to Ukraine must not undermine French national and European security, that the equipment must be useful to the Ukrainians and that it does not cause an escalation in the war.
Moscow has already reacted angrily to the decision by the US, Germany and other allies to partner with the UK in supplying tanks to Ukraine.
France is considering sending its Leclerc tanks.
But it is far from clear that this will happen, as there are only about 200 of this model and Ukrainian troops would have to be trained to use it, as well as the German-built Leopards.
Countries across Europe are estimated to have more than 2,000 Leopards, so it may be easier to deliver a few and train Ukrainian forces on them, as well as on the 14 Challenger IIs sent from the UK.
Zelensky calls for 300 main battle tanks to drive Russian troops out of Ukrainian territory.
Britain is leading the way in equipping Ukraine with ever heavier weapons to fight Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
France has taken a more conciliatory tone towards Putin than the UK, emphasizing that negotiations with the Russian president could ultimately end the war rather than outright military defeat.
During his visit to London, Gassilloud met Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons Defense Committee.