Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Medvedev said that Russia would benefit if France decided to deploy troops to Ukraine to support Kiev.
"In fact, it would be great if France sent several regiments to Ukraine. It is very difficult to hide such a number of soldiers, so getting rid of them is not the most difficult task, but certainly the most important. Think about the beneficial chain reaction that France's actions will bring," Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev posted on Telegram on March 20.
Mr Medvedev did not specify what the benefits would be for Russia. According to him, French soldiers in Ukraine would become an intervention force, so removing them is a "priority and a matter of honor" for the Russian armed forces.
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev (left) visits a military training center in Siberia in July 2023. Photo: AFP
Sergey Naryshkin, director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), said on March 19 that France was preparing to send troops to Ukraine, initially about 2,000 soldiers. He also noted that French soldiers have been unofficially present in Ukraine for a long time. Some of them have been killed or wounded.
The French Defense Ministry denied the report, calling it "another example of systematic disinformation" by Russia.
Tensions between Russia and France have recently escalated after President Emmanuel Macron said late last month that the West "does not rule out" sending troops to Ukraine, which is considered taboo and could lead NATO into a large-scale war with Russia, a country that possesses nuclear weapons.
The Kremlin has criticised the French president's statement, warning that the West's deployment of troops to Ukraine would lead to the "inevitable" risk of direct confrontation between NATO and Russia.
Macron explained on March 4 that the statement did not mean France would send troops to Ukraine in the near future. French officials said Macron wanted to stir up debate on the issue among allies, but there were no specific plans.
Huyen Le (According to TASS , Kyiv Post , Reuters )
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