Son objectif premier est de «préparer, dans tous les domaines, ce que sera le format de l’armée ukrainienne de demain», a exposé Emmanuel Macron. Le chef de l’Etat souhaite que suive le déploiement d’une «force de réassurance», une fois un accord de paix conclu.
According to Emmanuel Macron, these experts will have to determine the size of the necessary forces to ensure peace, as well as the nature of the equipment needed «to be able to respond to a possible Russian aggression and deter Russia» from launching a new offensive.
2 What are the planned next steps?
In a second phase, the Franco-British mission will focus on «planning work, which will clarify the contributions of each member country of our coalition to give visibility to Ukraine and have a very precise action plan,» Emmanuel Macron continued.
Indeed, this is only the first phase of a project advocated for several weeks by Paris and London for the establishment of «security guarantees» in Ukraine. Emmanuel Macron emphasized the benefits of the «reassurance force,» composed of voluntary European countries and intended to be deployed on Ukrainian soil only within the framework of a peace agreement.
This «reassurance force» is part of a «pacifist approach,» «as a strategic reserve,» argued the French president on Wednesday. The voluntary contingents would not go «to the front,» he insisted, even though they would have to «respond» if they were «attacked.» It would not be an observation force for a ceasefire, nor an interposition force, he further argued, mentioning the possibility of a separate operation «to maintain peace» under a «United Nations mandate.»
Emmanuel Macron admitted on Thursday that the countries supporting Ukraine were not united in their willingness to send troops after a possible peace agreement. But unanimity is not necessary, he asserted: «It is well established and we will move forward and work. And so there will indeed be a reassurance force with several European countries deploying.»
3 What do France and the UK’s allies say?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented during a press conference after the summit, praising «the unwavering support» of his allies: «There are many proposals from leaders to engage in the sky, in terms of anti-aircraft defense, on the ground, at sea… Regarding the contingent, there are many questions, but still few answers.»
«We can see that we are in the early stages, and that Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer’s project does not arouse overwhelming enthusiasm among European partners,» noted Isabelle Lasserre, diplomatic correspondent for Le Figaro, on France Inter on Friday. However, the French and British support alone can already be very useful, emphasized Jean-Dominique Merchet, a journalist at L’Opinion and a specialist in military matters. «If there had been such forces in Kyiv in 2022, perhaps the Russians would not have attacked, because attacking a NATO country is a much greater risk,» he pointed out.
4 How is Russia reacting?
While not directly targeting the Franco-British mission, Russia severely criticized on Thursday the overall plan of France and the UK, particularly the idea of a «reassurance force.» «Deploying a European force in Ukraine represents a risk of direct confrontation between Russia and NATO,» said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, as reported by the BBC. «London and Paris continue to entertain the idea of military intervention in Ukraine. All of this is disguised under [the guise] of a certain peacekeeping mission,» she stated.
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