French newspaper: Western troop deployment to Ukraine creates 'strategic dilemma' for Russia
(Baonghean.vn) - According to Le Monde, the training that the French want to provide to the Ukrainians is especially related to ground-based air defense forces because these facilities are often attacked by Russia.
Russia's TASS news agency reported on March 2 that the French newspaper Le Monde said that the possibility of deploying Western troops to Ukraine is seen as a way to put pressure on Russia.
Citing sources, the newspaper points out that France has been denying that its regular forces, whether in uniform or not, are present in Ukraine. Paris has only tacitly acknowledged the presence of members of the General Directorate for External Security (DGSE) in Ukraine, especially from the agencies specialized in operations in crisis areas. However, Le Monde says, neither their numbers nor their missions have been the subject of public announcement.
According to the above newspaper, Vincent Crouzet - a former employee of DGSE said: "The activities of these agencies are secret in nature and therefore fall outside the laws of war."
Meanwhile, the newspaper's sources note that servicemen under the command of the General Staff of the French Armed Forces have never crossed the Ukrainian border, but have only trained the Ukrainian army, especially in Poland. However, French President Emmanuel Macron has not ruled out the deployment of his country's special forces to Ukraine, albeit not in large military units, but in small groups of instructors.
This is seen first and foremost as a way to create a “strategic dilemma” for Russia, writes Le Monde. The training that France wants to provide to the Ukrainians is particularly relevant to ground-based air defenses, as these facilities are regularly bombarded by Russia, the newspaper said, adding that the presence of troops from France or elsewhere would be able to secure some areas of Ukraine, while seriously hampering Moscow’s efforts to target them without hindrance.
