Ukraine: Macron claims that after a truce, France may deploy “several thousand” troops

Ukraine: Following a truce, “several thousand” French troops might be sent to Ukraine, according to French President Emmanuel Macron.

Following the signing of a ceasefire deal on Tuesday, Macron said that “France will take part in operations” to monitor the Russian-Ukrainian border in an interview with TV station France 2 during a gathering of Western and European nations in Paris.

However, he emphasized that the French troops would not serve in combat and that France would take part in the “regeneration of the Ukrainian army.”

“Work has been done between the Ukrainians, the Coalition of the Willing, and the Americans,” Macron said. They will be in charge of deciding whether or not the border region has been crossed.

According to the Xinhua news agency, a group of over 30 Western and European nations decided Tuesday in Paris that strong and legally binding security assurances for Ukraine must be part of any eventual peace agreement.

In a joint statement, they said they are prepared to implement a system of legally and politically enforceable assurances as soon as a ceasefire is implemented. This will include long-term defense collaboration, military assistance for Ukraine, and involvement in a ceasefire monitoring system run by the United States.

According to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, France and the UK have signed a statement of intent to send soldiers to Ukraine if a peace agreement with Russia is reached.

Starmer said that both nations want to establish military coordination centers across Ukraine in order to deter future Russian aggression, after talks with Ukraine’s foreign allies in Paris. Later, French President Emmanuel Macron said that thousands of troops may be sent.

Strong security assurances were widely endorsed by Ukraine’s partners, who also proposed that the US take the lead in policing any truce. Negotiations on territorial issues, however, are still ongoing.

Foreign troops in Ukraine would be seen as a legitimate military target, as Russia has repeatedly warned.

In February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin started a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and as of right now, Moscow controls almost 20% of the country.