Five French MPs urge defense minister to send instructors to Ukraine
The parliamentarians from different political groups propose a European coalition to send military instructors to Ukraine for troop training.
Five members of the French Parliament from across the political spectrum have written to Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu, calling for the deployment of French military instructors to Ukraine.
The letter, titled “Proposal to create a European coalition to send military instructors to Ukraine,” was published by MP Frédéric Petit on X. It underscores the urgent need for continued military training amid intense fighting in the Donbas, where Russia has intensified assaults and steadily gained ground over recent months.
The deputies, including Petit, Laurent Mazaury, Anna Pic, Constance Le Grip, and Xavier Roseren, argue that the harsh combat conditions and increasing Russian pressure necessitate expanding military training from French and Polish territories directly to Ukrainian soil.
“The excellent training of the Anne de Kyiv brigade on French territory has highlighted the importance of the training provided by the French army for Ukrainian soldiers,” the letter states.
The proposed initiative supports creating a European coalition of instructors, with France potentially taking a leading role alongside British, Polish, Baltic, and Scandinavian armies.
Noting that Russia has enlisted thousands of North Korean soldiers to fight against the Ukrainian army, the deputies propose increasing direct support to Ukraine. Their strategy focuses on sending instructors to train soldiers defending their territorial integrity, rather than deploying combat troops.
The proposal emphasizes maintaining a strong stance against potential Russian negotiation tactics:
“As the prospects for possible negotiations become clearer, France and other European countries must show no signs of weakness, and not allow themselves to be dictated to by the red lines drawn by the Kremlin,” the letter reads.
The members of Parliament note that France can also benefit from such a deployment:
“What’s more, feedback from these training courses, the first of which began almost two years ago, shows that the action of these instructors in the field, behind the front line, would make it possible to go beyond the current contingencies, and would constitute an extremely interesting extension for all parties,” they wrote.
Related:
- Le Monde: Secret discussions on sending troops to Ukraine resume in Europe
- Ukraine can use French SCALP missiles into Russia “in self-defense,” hints FM Barrot
- Macron backs US approval for strikes deep into Russia
- UK, France permits Ukraine to use long-range missiles for strikes inside Russia, Le Figaro reports
- France completes training of Ukraine’s newly-formed Anna of Kyiv Brigade
- Ukraine to receive six Mirage 2000-5F fighters from France by mid-2025
- EU confirms no decisions made on sending troops to Ukraine
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