French MPs call for sending instructors to Ukraine
29 November, 2024 French military. Photo: Maxppp/St?phanie Para French MPs appealed to the French Defense Minister to create a European coalition to send military instructors to Ukraine.
French MP Frederic Petit reported about this on his page on the social network X. The appeal to the Minister of Defense was signed by five MPs from five different parties on November 29, 2024. "The excellent training of the Anna of Kyiv Brigade on French soil has highlighted the importance of the training provided by the French army to Ukrainian soldiers.
This training is essential for France's military assistance to Ukraine. Soldiers trained by the French army or other European armies gain experience that will be crucial on the front line... Therefore, we urge you to send French military instructors to Ukraine," the MPs called.
Ukrainian recruits against the background of the French VAB armored personnel carrier, April 2024.
Photo credits: Wojtek Radwanski/AFP
They also called for the creation of a European coalition to send military instructors to Ukraine. In their view, France could play a leading role in this coalition alongside the armies of the UK, Poland, the Baltic States and Scandinavia. "The creation of such a coalition of European countries to send military instructors would be proof of our determination to support Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, to defend the international law and to protect ourselves from the imperialist ambitions of the Russian Federation," the statement explains.
The appeal was signed by Frederic Petit of Les Democrates; Laurent Mazaury of Yvelines, Libertes, Independants, Outre-Mer et Territoires; Anne Pic of Socialistes et apparentes; Constance Le Grip of Ensemble pour la Republique; and Xavier Roseren of Horizons & Independants. It is worth noting that the MPs who signed the appeal come from both the parties of the ruling coalition and the opposition parties.
Limited foreign military contingent in Ukraine
The possibility of sending a limited military contingent was first publicly announced by French President Emmanuel Macron in February 2024. "At the moment, there is no agreement on an official, authorized deployment of ground troops.
But in the future, nothing should be ruled out. We will do everything we can to ensure that Russia does not win this war," Macron told reporters after an emergency summit in Paris on the evening of February 26. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal confirmed the words of French President Emmanuel Macron about deploying troops to Ukraine and explained the potential purpose of such actions.
Attal noted that the possible deployment of troops would not be aimed at participating in combat operations at the front but at rear support.
Military personnel of the Ground Forces of France. Photo credits: French Ministry of Defense
Such ideas have sparked discussions among NATO countries. At the same time, some European countries and Canada said they had been considering such a possibility, but the United States had opposed it.
At the end of May 2024, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, announced that France and Ukraine had already agreed on the arrival of the French instructors.
"I welcome the initiative of France to send instructors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian servicemen.
I have already signed the documents that will allow the first French instructors to visit our training centers and familiarize themselves with their infrastructure and personnel," Oleksandr Syrskyi noted.