Today fighter planes, tomorrow – perhaps – French instructors on the ground. The president of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, announced this Thursday that it will transfer Mirages 2000-5 to Ukraine. On the other hand, he did not confirm the sending of French instructors to Ukrainian soil but from his words – “it is not a taboo” – it is deduced that he is willing to do so…
France will train pilots and mechanics for these combat aircraft on its territory, so that men and machines will be available by December. Macron did not specify the number of aircraft, waiting for other European countries that have the same model to be willing to also give up their fighters.
The French president made the announcement in a joint interview that closed the evening editions of the most watched news programs, that of the private channel TF1 and that of the public channel France 2. The four television channels, all news, broadcast the broadcast live from Caen, in Normandy, where Macron had presided over the commemorative events of the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
The head of state drew a parallel between the Second World War and the conflict in Eastern Europe: “Ukraine faces an imperialist power that is not Nazi Germany, but that has kicked international law.” He emphatically stated: “France wants peace, but peace cannot be the capitulation of Ukraine”.
He accused Moscow of “having betrayed the message of the Normandy Landings” and maintained that helping Ukraine is “protecting our right and preventing the law of the strongest from being imposed.”
Hence the new cooperation that is going to be agreed with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyguest star among the twenty heads of State and Government -with Joe Biden at the head – who attended the ceremonies on the beaches and cemeteries of the Landing.
Macron announced that he will propose “train, train and equip” 4,500 Ukrainian soldiers.” Asked about sending French military instructors to Ukraine, Macron stated that “there should be no taboo on that topic.”
Although he did not confirm it, he added: “Ukrainian soil is sovereign. It is not about going to train in the combat zone but, when Ukraine has a challenge, we must respond to it, as has been done every time.”
Most analysts believe that Macron only hopes to establish an alliance with other countries willing to send instructors to Ukrainian territory to officially join and find a diplomatic umbrella in which to frame them… which cannot even be NATO so as not to compromise Biden. nor the European Union, due to lack of consensus.
Emmanuel Macron giving his speech on the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
Reuters
kyiv, rushed by the Russian offensive on Kharkiv, asked for help a few days ago to train thousands of soldiers it had just recruited. The urgency and the high number of recruits would recommend training in your country. Surely, there will be more details after the meeting that Macron and Zelensky will have this Friday in Paris.
“We will not give in”
Before the television interview, Macron ended his speech in Normandy with these words addressed to the D-Day veterans: “Faced with the return of war on our continent, faced with those who question everything they have fought for, faced with those who They intend to change borders by force to rewrite History, Let us be worthy of those who landed here.”.
And, referring to Volodymyr Zelensky, he added: “His presence here says all that. We will not give in, we will be there.” The loud applause competed with the noise of war planes crossing the Norman sky from west to east.
Tension between Moscow and Paris has increased since Macron became the head of European leaders who favor firmness against Putin. It was at the end of February at a summit at the Elysée in which the French president surprised his guests by evoking “the hypothesis” of sending European troops to Ukraine. The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, present at the Elysée, did not hesitate to show his disagreement.
In fact, Putin appears to have already discounted the presence of Western instructors in Ukraine “under the guise of mercenaries,” as he said a week ago. On Wednesday it was reaffirmed: “They are present on Ukrainian territory and, unfortunately for them, they suffer losses. “The US and European states prefer to remain silent.”
Russian interference
Between Paris and Moscow there are more than words. Until now, everything was episodes of hybrid war low cost: first there were the stars of David painted on the facades of Paris, then the red hands on the Shoah Memorial in Paris. Last Sunday, five coffins containing plaster, covered by French flags and the inscription “Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine”, appeared under the Eiffel Tower…
But the arrest on Monday of a 26-year-old man in Roissy, a Russian born in the Ukrainian Donbass, has set off alarms. The detainee is accused of “terrorist association of criminals and preparation of attacks on people” and “possession of substances to manufacture an explosive device.”
The anti-terrorist prosecutor’s office has taken charge of the case after firefighters went to a hotel in Roissy, the town north of Paris where France’s largest airport, Charles de Gaulle, is located, to help an injured person. In the room they found the guest with serious injuries to his face and hand. He had set off an explosive that he was handling. The Police later discovered false documents and products and materials intended to make homemade bombs.
Just yesterday, a Frenchman living in Switzerland where he works for an NGO founded by Koffi Annan was arrested in Moscow and accused of “espionage”. Macron said he would have consular help but called the Russian accusation disinformation: “He didn’t work for France.”
In his interview, Macron was critical of the initiative of Spain, Ireland and Norway to now recognize the Palestinian State: “A State is not recognized on the basis of indignation.” “France’s position is clear: implacable condemnation of the October 7 attacks, immediate release of the hostages, respect for international humanitarian law and promotion of a two-state solution.”
Macron appealed to vote on Sunday in the European elections, but his words went beyond the usual institutional call to participation: “Not going to vote is leaving the future of our continent in the hands of others.”. “We see throughout Europe the rise of the extreme right, which may constitute a blocking minority.”
The opposition was unleashed against Macron, accused of intervening to try to give a boost to his candidate Valérie Hayer. According to all the polls, he is on his way to an unappealable defeat. He tracking of IFOP for The Figaro published yesterday, Thursday, places it at 15% of voting intention, only two points ahead of the socialist candidacy (13%). In the lead, the far-right list of Marine Le Pen (83%).
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