Two scenarios for the French Army to choose its base in Ukraine

Ria Novosti news agency reported that on March 19, LCI TV channel (France) had an interview with historian and military analyst Vincent Arbaretier, retired French army lieutenant colonel, who said that the French army can choose 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 Dnieper River historically divides Ukraine into two parts – the East and the West. Lieutenant Colonel Arbaretier believes that the water barrier is a weapon of strategic importance. Moreover, the terrain around the Dnieper River allows for observation of troop concentrations and defenses.

Mr Arbaretier added that France could quickly send troops to the Eastern European country because President Emmanuel Macron has the authority to make such decisions without parliamentary approval. Meanwhile, to do this, the German chancellor would have to seek the "nod" of the lower house.

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 protracted front line, but to deploy separate units capable of rapid reaction.

"This will not be a provocation. 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 protect Kiev," said Lieutenant Colonel Arbaretier.

The French military analyst added that the country was ready to deploy 20,000 soldiers. "This is not the first shot as the President emphasized, but the deployment of troops to prevent the Russian army from advancing further," Mr. Arbaretier commented.

Earlier, Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin said that France is preparing to send a contingent of troops to Ukraine. At the initial stage, the number of these troops will be about 2,000 soldiers.

According to Mr. Naryshkin, the French military is concerned that such an important military unit cannot be mobilized and stationed in Ukraine without being noticed, because it will become a legitimate target of attacks by the Russian Armed Forces.

Mr. Naryshkin added that data from the French Foreign Intelligence Service admitted that Paris had not suffered losses abroad since the war in Algeria in the second half of the 20th century. Therefore, the French military is very concerned about the dissatisfaction of mid-level officers in the army about sending troops to Ukraine.

Russian President's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, warned that such a development would certainly lead to a direct military clash between Russia and NATO./.