Secret debates over the possible dispatch of Western troops and private defense companies into Ukraine have intensified against the backdrop of a possible U.S. withdrawal from the international effort to support Ukraine after Donald Trump takes office as president in January 2025.
That’s according to Le Monde referring to its sources, Ukrinform reports.
“Discussions are underway between the UK and France on defense cooperation, in particular, with the aim of creating a ‘hard core’ between allies in Europe, focused on Ukraine and European security in a broader sense,” a UK military source informed.
Earlier, the discussion about sending troops to Ukraine was initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron at a meeting of allies in Paris in February. However, it sparked strong resistance from some European countries, led by Germany.
“However, this scenario has not been buried. It has even been revived in recent weeks, thanks to the visit to France of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, on November 11,” the article notes.
Th Ministry of Armed Forces and the Elysee Palace have not yet given the official green light to sending troops or private operators but such proposals have been on the table for months.
Among them was the one from Défense Conseil International (DCI), the main operator of the Ministry of Defense for monitoring French arms export contracts, 55 percent of whose shares belong to the French state.
“DCI would be ready to continue training Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine, as is already done in France and Poland. If necessary, it could also service French military equipment donated to Kyiv,” the article says.
The revived discussions about sending Western troops or private contractors come at a time when Ukraine has received permission from the U.S. to use long-range missiles against targets inside Russia. However, according to the publication’s sources, the Ukrainians cannot use the British Storm Shadow missiles, as well as the French Scalp, without some form of Western support on the ground.
“The missile must be programmed before it can be loaded onto a Su-24 bomber, which is in Ukraine,” the publication writes.
To date, no information has been released about Scalp strikes on military targets located in Russian territory.
As reported, France has no “red lines” regarding support for Ukraine. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot indirectly confirmed that Ukraine could strike Russia with French long-range missiles, stopping short of revealing whether the French weapons had already been used.
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Source: Discussions of deploying international troops in Ukraine intensified in Europe - Le Monde
