Secret discussions about sending troops to Ukraine have resumed in Europe, – Le Monde

There is currently no official permission to send conventional troops or private military companies to Ukraine, but “proposals have been on the table for months.”

As the war in Ukraine enters a new phase of escalation, discussions about sending Western troops and private military companies to Ukraine have resumed, Le Monde writes, citing its sources.

“These delicate discussions, most of which are classified, have been resumed amid a possible withdrawal of American support for Kyiv after Donald Trump takes office,” the article says.

As the publication notes, the scenario of a possible deployment of troops to Ukraine has not been completely buried and has received a new impetus in recent weeks thanks to the visit to France of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on November 11.

“There are talks between Britain and France about defence cooperation, in particular with the aim of creating a solid core of allies in Europe focused on Ukraine and European security more broadly,” a British military source told Le Monde.

In addition, the publication points to a promising statement by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. Thus, in an interview with the BBC on November 23, he called on Western allies “not to establish or announce red lines” in their support for Ukraine. Answering a question about the possibility of sending French troops to the region, he said: “We do not exclude any options.

Le Monde notes that there is currently no official permission to send Western troops to Ukraine, but “proposals have been on the table for several months.”

One of them concerns Défense Conseil International (DCI), the main operator of the French Ministry of Defense for monitoring export contracts for the supply of French weapons and the transfer of relevant military know-how.

“Consisting of 80% former military personnel, DCI is ready to continue training Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine, as is already done in France and Poland. If necessary, it could also service French military equipment sent to Kyiv,” the publication writes.

As Le Monde notes, the resumption of discussions about sending Western troops to Ukraine is taking place against the backdrop of an increase in the supply of long-range weapons to Ukraine.

“According to sources, the Ukrainians will not be able to use this type of missile without some Western support on the ground. The British Storm Shadows, like the French Scalp, must be programmed before they can be installed on the Su-24 bombers that Ukraine has,” the publication writes.

Western troops in Ukraine

In February and March of this year, French President Emmanuel Macron did not rule out the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine. In particular, Macron said at a meeting with parliamentary parties that sending troops to Ukraine was possible if Russian occupiers broke through to Kyiv or Odessa.

At the same time, Hungary and Germany rejected the idea of sending NATO troops to Ukraine.

(C)UNIAN 2024