Two scenarios for the French Army's troop deployment in Ukraine.

According to Ria Novosti, the French television channel LCI interviewed historian and military analyst Vincent Arbaretier, a retired French army lieutenant colonel, on March 19, who said the French army could choose from two scenarios for deploying troops in Ukraine.

"There are two main scenarios for the deployment of French troops in Ukraine. The first is the deployment along the Dnieper River," said military analyst Vincent Arbaretier, a retired French army lieutenant colonel.

Military analyst Vincent Arbaretier notes that the Dnepr River historically divides Ukraine into two parts – East and West. Lieutenant Colonel Arbaretier argues that the water barrier is a strategically important weapon. Furthermore, the terrain around the Dnepr River allows for observation of troop concentrations and defensive positions.

Arbaretier added that France could quickly send troops to the Eastern European country because President Emmanuel Macron is authorized to make such decisions without parliamentary approval. Meanwhile, to do the same, the German Chancellor would have to seek the "nod" of the Bundestag.

According to French media, the second scenario involves the deployment of French armed forces along the border between Ukraine and Belarus.

According to Arbaretier, the goal is not to form a prolonged front line, but to deploy separate units capable of rapid response.

"This will not be a provocative act. This will allow us to force Russia to negotiate. On equal terms, we are a nuclear power, our troops can be deployed very quickly, especially to defend Kyiv," said Lieutenant Colonel Arbaretier.

The French military analyst added that the country is ready to deploy 20,000 soldiers. "This is not the first shot, as the President emphasized, but rather a troop deployment to prevent Russian forces from advancing further," Arbaretier stated.

Earlier, the head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergei Naryshkin, stated that France was preparing to send a contingent of troops to Ukraine. In the initial phase, the number of troops would reach approximately 2,000 soldiers.

According to Naryshkin, the French military is concerned that such a significant military unit cannot be deployed and stationed in Ukraine without attracting attention, as it would become a legitimate target in attacks by the Russian Armed Forces.

Mr. Naryshkin added that data from the French Foreign Intelligence Agency acknowledges that Paris has not suffered any losses abroad since the Algerian War in the latter half of the 20th century. Therefore, the French military is very concerned about the dissatisfaction of mid-level officers regarding the deployment of troops to Ukraine.

Russian President's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, warned that such developments would inevitably lead to a direct military confrontation between Russia and NATO.