France Expands Military Support to Ukraine and Steps Up Training Missions
France has announced an expanded package of weapons and training for Ukraine. French Defense Minister Sebastian Lecornu confirmed that Paris will supply 12 additional CAESAR artillery systems to Kyiv. The announcement, reported by BFMTV, underscores France’s ongoing commitment to strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities on the ground.
In parallel, France outlined a broader support plan that includes deploying 150 French soldiers to Poland. There, the troops will oversee a program to train Ukrainian forces, with roughly 600 soldiers undergoing training each month. Lecornu indicated that this training effort is designed to raise the total number of Ukrainian soldiers who have received French instruction to around 2,000 by the summer, marking a significant scale-up in that collaborative effort.
At the same time, Oleksiy Reznikov, the head of Ukraines Defense Ministry, is visiting Paris. During the visit, President Emmanuel Macron held discussions with the Ukrainian defense chief, signaling continued high-level engagement between Paris and Kyiv. The talks focused on security assistance, regional stability, and the timetable for the delivery of promised military support.
Earlier reporting suggested that French authorities were weighing the possibility of extending training to Ukrainian pilots who would operate fighter aircraft. This potential development was cited by Politico, which attributed the information to Lecornu, who also serves as deputy defense minister. The discussions reflect Frances broader approach to building Ukrainian air defenses and complementing other allied efforts in the region.
France has repeatedly framed its help as part of a coordinated Western strategy to bolster Ukraine while seeking to balance practical training with operational needs. The CAESAR self-propelled howitzers, which are mobile artillery systems designed for rapid deployment, are seen as a versatile asset in the Ukrainian battlefield context. The additional units will join existing French military aid as Kyiv continues to adapt its land-based capabilities to evolving combat conditions. The training mission in Poland is designed to transfer knowledge on joint operations, logistics, and maintenance, ensuring Ukrainian troops can sustain and maximize the use of the equipment and tactics provided by France and its partners. Attribution: BFMTV for the artillery delivery, Politico for the pilot training discussion.