Macron held a closed meeting with parliament on sending troops to Ukraine
11 January 00:21
French President Emmanuel Macron held a closed meeting with representatives of the government, military command, and parliament to discuss the possible deployment of French troops to Ukraine after the end of the war.
This was reported by Le Monde, citing sources. According to the publication, “no one generally opposed” the plan proposed by the head of state, reports "Komersant Ukrainian".
The meeting, which lasted three hours, brought together about 30 people. Among the participants were Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin, Chief of Staff General Fabien Mandon, as well as the leadership of the National Assembly and the Senate.
During the discussion, some participants considered the coalition of the determined as a possible alternative to NATO. At the same time, as the publication notes, some of those present expressed skepticism about the US administration’s willingness to intervene in the event of Russia violating the peace agreement.
“Macron says he has received security guarantees from the Americans, but I am now wary of the American word,” said Jean-Louis Thieriot, a member of the parliamentary defense committee. The French president himself stressed that international forces, if deployed, would be “far from the front line” and their task would be to support the Ukrainian army.
Representatives of opposition parties have put forward additional conditions. Matilda Panot, leader of the Unbowed France faction, said she would demand a UN mandate for the deployment of troops. Communist Party Secretary Fabien Roussel spoke in favor of creating a UN peacekeeping force, fearing an “outbreak of violence.” Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally, also insisted that the contingent be deployed exclusively under the auspices of the UN.
Earlier, on January 8, The Times, citing sources, reported that Britain and France had agreed to send up to 15,000 troops to Ukraine (approximately 7,500 from each country) if peace was concluded. These forces are planned to be deployed in western Ukraine, far from the line of contact. At the same time, the publication noted that so far only two countries have agreed to such a mission, which is “significantly less than expected.” According to The Times, Germany is considering the possibility of deploying forces near the Ukrainian border, for example, in Poland or Romania.
