KYIV, March 23 - Ukraine signed a preliminary agreement on Friday with France to buy 55 helicopters from a division of Airbus to be used by the police, border guards and emergency services, Reuters reported.

The deal was announced during a visit to Kiev by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who underlined French support for Ukraine in its standoff with Russia but also urged the authorities to do more to tackle corruption at home.