Mission Creep? France is Deploying Soldiers to Ukraine, Says Kyiv
Oliver JJ Lane 28 May 2024
The Ukrainian government praised France’s “determination” for sending military advisors to the country, saying it hoped Paris making the first move would encourage other Western partners to deploy troops too.
A months-long drama over French President Emmanuel Macron’s apparently intractable desire to deploy French soldiers directly to Ukraine appears to be approaching the point of action, as Ukraine reveals it has now legally cleared the way for foreign troops to arrive.
Ukraine’s new Commander in Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi and the nation’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov had talks with their French counterpart Defence Minister Sebastien Lecorne, they said on Sunday, underlining how they welcomed French troops and appealed to the country for more equipment and ammunition to be donated.
Syrskyi said he welcomed “France’s initiative to send instructors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian military personnel”, and revealed he had “already signed the documents that will allow the first French instructors” to arrive. That first wave of French troops would be visiting Ukrainian training facilities for familiarisation, he said.
Crucially, the Ukrainian stated he hoped, France breaking the Western taboo on ‘boots on the ground’ in Ukraine would encourage other backers to get involved more directly. He said: “I believe that France’s determination will encourage other partners to join this ambitious project.”
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https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/05/28/mission-creep-france-is-deploying-soldiers-to-ukraine-says-kyiv/