"The current leadership of the country appears indifferent to the welfare of ordinary French citizens and the concerns of military leaders," Naryshkin remarked. "Our information suggests that preparations are underway for sending a contingent to Ukraine. Initially, this group will consist of approximately 2,000 troops." (Related: Macron doubles down on possibility of deploying NATO troops to Ukraine.)
Expressing concerns, the Russian intelligence chief noted that the French military's main concern isn't that it may be interfering in a conflict, but that it is finding it difficult to discreetly transfer and position such a sizable foreign force in Ukraine.
"This sizable deployment will inevitably become a prominent target for Russian armed forces, inviting the same fate suffered by previous French incursions into the Russian sphere," he stressed, referencing previous French invasions of Russia in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Following a conference on Ukraine in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron refrained from outright dismissing the possibility of Western ground troops being dispatched to the area of the ongoing military operation in Ukraine despite a lack of support from Kyiv's other Western allies. Macron further pledged that Western nations would take necessary actions to thwart Russia's success in the conflict.
In a separate article published by TASS, Naryshkin commented on earlier reports suggesting that French members of Ukraine's international legion were killed in a missile strike in Kharkiv on Jan. 23.
"Sooner or later, Macron will have to disclose the unpleasant truth, but he will likely endeavor to postpone this 'admission' for as long as possible. As purported from the Elysee Palace, the tally of French casualties has already crossed a psychologically significant threshold," he said.
Maginot Line France hasn't recovered from Dien Bien Phu.
ReplyDelete