France reiterates commitment to empower Ukraine in its defence against Russia

Newsweek features that in a recent interview, France's minister for European affairs reaffirmed the country's commitment to supporting Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia.

France has not dismissed the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine, according to Benjamin Haddad, the French minister for European affairs. Since the onset of the war, Paris, in conjunction with other NATO allies, has trained over 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers.

In February, French President Emmanuel Macron indicated that while there was no consensus on deploying ground troops, "nothing was excluded." NATO allies have been striving to provide military support to Ukraine, but the presence of troops on the ground could heighten concerns about escalation. Nonetheless, Moscow has already framed its invasion as a proxy conflict between Russia and NATO.

Newsweek has reached out to the French and Russian foreign ministries, as well as NATO, for comments via email. In May, the French newspaper Le Monde reported that France might send instructors to Ukraine to assist in training its military, following an agreement with Kyiv's top commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi. Amid ongoing discussions about whether Western weapons should be permitted for strikes deep inside Russia, Haddad reaffirmed President Macron's position on military assistance to Ukraine. "President Macron has stated several times that we must not exclude anything, particularly concerning training missions," Haddad told the German newspaper Berliner Zeitung, according to a translation.

When asked if this meant that the deployment of French ground troops to Ukraine was still an option, Haddad replied, "Yes." In the interview, Haddad emphasized that France is "convinced Ukraine must be empowered to defend itself" and noted that "the only country escalating tensions since February 24, 2022, is Russia." "Russia has opted to shut the door on diplomacy," he continued. "That's why President Macron believes we should refrain from setting rigid boundaries and instead embrace what we refer to as strategic ambiguity." 

Macron has advocated for a shift in policy to enable Kyiv to target military bases within Russia using advanced long-range weapons. During a recent address to the United Nations, Macron stated that Russia is "conducting a war of territorial conquest in Ukraine." He stressed the need for nations to restore Ukraine's legitimate rights as swiftly as possible and to build a just and lasting peace. 

NATO's new chief, Mark Rutte, expressed strong support for Ukraine, stating it is one of his top priorities. "We must ensure that Ukraine remains a sovereign, independent, and democratic nation," he added.

By Naila Huseynova