France ready to send troops to Ukraine next year – army chief

Russia has expressed strong opposition to the deployment of NATO troops in the neighboring country

France is ready to send troops as early as next year as part of security guarantees proposed by Ukraine’s Western backers if a ceasefire is reached in the conflict with Russia, Army Chief of Staff Pierre Schill has said.

Speaking before the National Assembly’s Defense Committee on Thursday, Schill said next year “will be marked by coalitions,” referring to the large-scale French-led Orion 26 exercise, which he said would test coordination among NATO forces.

“We will stand ready to deploy forces within the framework of security guarantees, if necessary, for the benefit of Ukraine,” Schill told lawmakers.

He added that the French Army is capable of responding to three simultaneous “alerts,” including a potential deployment to Ukraine. France currently maintains a “national emergency level” of 7,000 soldiers who can be mobilized within 12 hours to five days, either for domestic missions or for NATO commitments.

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The announcement came a day after Chief of the Armed Forces Fabien Mandon said the French military must be ready for a potential confrontation with Russia within the next few years. He claimed that Russia “may be tempted” to expand the conflict to the European continent, a claim Moscow has dismissed.

Last month, the Wall Street Journal reported that EU army chiefs were drafting a plan for “security guarantees” for Kiev. It envisions sending around 10,000 troops to Ukraine – one group to train and assist Ukrainian units, and another to serve as a “reassurance force” after a peace deal.

Moscow has expressed strong opposition to NATO troops being deployed to Ukraine, arguing that Kiev’s ambitions to join the bloc were among the key reasons for the conflict. Earlier this month, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Western Europe is “doing everything” to escalate the conflict, accusing “non-professionals” in EU governments of failing to grasp the consequences of their actions.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said Russia is not opposed to security guarantees for Kiev, provided they also take into account Russia’s interests.