The qualitative leap in the French contribution to the war effort in Ukraine, with the sending of military instructors and the transfer of combat aircraft, does not constitute an escalation of war against Russia, according to French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron thus responded to criticism for the deployment of soldiers in a country at war, a step that until a few months ago seemed taboo, and for the risk that this would involve France, a nuclear power, in a conflict with Russia, another nuclear power.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the help during a two-day visit to France. And he stated that sending French instructors to the west of the country, far from the battle front, will simply serve to speed up the preparation of soldiers who until now had to travel to the countries where they received training.
Everything will go faster now, when, in the midst of the Russian offensive and doubts about Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, there is no time to lose for the Ukrainians. In a press conference with Zelensky at the Elysee Palace on Friday, Macron justified the decision because Ukraine is mobilizing massively and needs to train more soldiers and faster.
“We want to do everything possible to help Ukraine,” Macron said at the Elysee. “Training Ukrainian soldiers on the ground, is it an escalation? No”. French soldiers will not go to the front and, according to the French president, Ukraine, as a sovereign country, has every right to ask for this form of assistance: “It fits with our line: we are not at war with Russia, but we fully support Ukraine.” . Zelensky added: “This aid is an obvious protection for our Europe.”
Macron’s announcement, anticipated for days, comes in the midst of commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the landing of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and other allies on the coasts of Normandy to liberate France and Europe from Nazi Germany. Zelensky has been the special guest this year. Both Macron and US President Joe Biden took advantage of Thursday’s commemorative speeches on the Normandy beaches to draw a parallel between the fight for democracy that was waged in June 1944 and the defense of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
“We are here and we will not falter,” Macron said. Biden added: “We will not disengage [de Ucrania]”. On Friday, in a meeting with Zelensky in Paris, Biden apologized publicly for the first time for the delay in US aid caused by the blockade of Congress in Washington.
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The transfer to Ukraine of an undetermined number of French Mirage 2000-5 fighter aircraft would be effective at the end of this year, after future pilots receive the mandatory training. These planes, Macron said, will have the mission of protecting Ukrainian soil and airspace. In a speech before the French National Assembly, Zelensky stated, alluding to the ceremonies of the previous day on the landing beaches: “I am sure that one day we will see planes in the skies of Ukraine. [franceses] like the ones we saw yesterday [por el jueves] in Normandy.
Macron said at Friday’s press conference that he was finalizing a European coalition to train Ukrainian soldiers, so that France would not be the only country with soldiers on Ukrainian territory. “Several of our partners have already given their agreement,” he said. On the French side, it would involve training and equipping a brigade of 4,500 soldiers.
The French initiative provoked criticism in Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov accused the French president of fueling tensions. In France, Jordan Bardella, candidate for Sunday’s European elections for the far-right National Rally party, said he was playing “a dangerous game.” Fabien Roussel, general secretary of the Communist Party, accused him of “choosing, alone, military escalation, crossing the red lines that he had set for himself.”
For more than a year, after Russia launched the great invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Western countries were cautious when it came to helping Ukraine militarily, and France was for a time one of the most cautious countries. She feared that a Russian response could turn them into “co-belligerents.” In other words, the presence of the military in Ukraine, a country where Russia is fighting a war, would trigger a direct confrontation between Russia and a NATO country, and a war between nuclear powers.
Macron himself broke the taboo on February 26, stating in response to a question at a press conference: “Today there is no consensus to officially, assumedly and decisively send ground forces.” But he added: “Nothing should be excluded. “We will do everything necessary to ensure that Russia cannot win this war.” One of the options that the Elysée was already proposing at this time was that the sending of troops would take the form, not of soldiers in combat, but of instructors.
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