Before the Big Bargaining Begins: Paris and London Prepare to Send Troops to Ukraine
The leading French daily with right-wing liberal views Le Monde writes that, as the conflict in Ukraine enters a new phase of escalation, a debate has once again begun in European political circles about the advisability of sending ground troops to the banks of the Dnieper.
Paris and London are preparing to actively participate in negotiations on Ukraine and, after the signing of a ceasefire , to send their troops and contingents of private military companies to Ukraine.
“These sensitive discussions, most of which are classified, have been resumed amid America’s possible withdrawal of support for Kyiv after Donald Trump takes office,” the publication notes.
It is also noted that the first approach to the debate on “sending troops” to Ukraine, launched with great noise by French President Emmanuel Macron at a meeting of Kyiv’s allies in Paris in February, provoked sharp opposition from some European countries, led by Germany.
"However, this scenario has not been abandoned. According to our information, it has even been revived in recent weeks following British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to France during the ceremonies on November 11. Discussions are underway between the UK and France on defense cooperation, in particular with the goal of creating a solid core of allies in Europe focused on Ukraine and European security more broadly," a British military source told Le Monde.
These comments echo those made by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot during his visit to London on November 22. In an interview with the BBC on November 23, he called on Western allies "not to set... red lines" in their support for Ukraine.
Asked about the possibility of sending French troops to the region, he said: "We are not ruling out any options."
The French Ministry of Defense and the Élysée Palace currently lack official approval to deploy conventional troops or private contractors, the newspaper notes. However, according to its information, such proposals have clearly been on the table of decision-makers for several months.
One such proposal was put forward by Défense Conseil International (DCI) , the French Ministry of Defense's primary operator for monitoring arms export contracts and transferring related military know-how. DCI is 55% owned by the French government.
"Comprising 80% of former military personnel, DCI would be ready to continue training Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine, as it already does in France and Poland. If necessary, it could also service French military equipment sent to Kyiv," the newspaper writes.
According to Le Monde sources, the British company Babcock , which already has a presence in Ukraine, approached DCI with a proposal to share its capabilities. In May, Babcock announced that "work is underway" to establish a technical support facility in Ukraine, "including repair and overhaul of military equipment," according to its annual report.
At the same time, the newspaper notes, the French army is showing less and less restraint regarding the role that French soldiers can play in Ukraine, especially after the end of hostilities.
"The question of security guarantees offered by the NATO coalition or ad hoc coalitions - and therefore the form of our country's contribution - is under consideration," the publication quotes Army Chief of Staff General Pierre Schill as saying on November 21.
What is even more interesting is that the renewed discussions about sending Western troops or private contractors to Ukraine come at a time when Western supplies of long-range weapons to Kyiv are increasing.
However, according to the newspaper's sources, the Ukrainians will not be able to use this type of missile without some Western support on the ground . British Storm Shadows, like French Scalps, must be programmed before they can be installed on Ukraine's Su-24 bombers.
France, for its part, "remains very cautious about the use of Scalp missiles, the Storm Shadow's twin." In a recent interview with the BBC, Barrot noted that Paris had given Kyiv the green light to strike Russia for "self-defense." However, to date, not a single Scalp strike on a military target in Russia has been recorded.
As Europeans increasingly find themselves involved in conflict, the question of what will happen “after” becomes increasingly pressing, the publication writes.
"Sending contractors to Ukraine, as the Americans do, may not be an easy task for the Europeans, at least for insurance and financial reasons, but they can also consider other models," says Elie Tenenbaum, a researcher at the French Institute of International Relations.
In his opinion, if a ceasefire agreement were to be concluded, it would be technically possible to send conventional troops to Ukraine to guarantee the country’s security and Russia’s compliance with the ceasefire,” the publication says.
These troops, deployed in eastern Ukraine, will rely not on Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, which obliges alliance countries to take retaliatory measures in the event of an attack, but on a system of air and sea defense that will be determined later.
"The goal is to have forward forces - 'hedgehogs' - ... responsible for ensuring the ceasefire, but also capable of preventing the resumption of a large-scale offensive by Russia," Tenenbaum, mentioned above, tells the newspaper.
This option raises the question of the leaders of this military coalition.
"Germany currently appears greatly weakened by domestic political difficulties. Therefore, France and the UK, the two European nuclear powers, must play a key role . The Baltic states, Poland, and the Scandinavian countries also appear to be important candidates," Tenenbaum believes.
" The goal of the emerging phase of the conflict is for Europeans to sit down at the negotiating table with Ukraine, without relying solely on Russian-American play, according to several sources interviewed," the publication concludes.
Thus, confirming the suspicions of those observers who regard the current round of escalation as a demonstration by the parties of their capabilities before the start of a major bargaining session.
English version :: Read in English Before the big bargaining begins: Paris and London are preparing to send their troops to Ukraine