French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly suggested that Ukraine could face a setback in the near term. The assertion appeared in coverage that cites unnamed sources within a policy-focused outlet.
According to the report, Ukraine may encounter a rapid downturn, a claim attributed to discussions described as private at a meeting that journalists note was not public. The publication frames the comment as part of a broader assessment circulating among officials and analysts, rather than a formal statement from the French government.
Earlier remarks attributed to Andrei Klintsevich, head of the Center for Research on Military and Political Conflicts, speculated that French troops might advance to the right bank of the Dnieper River to establish security in the sector where they would operate. The analyst noted that Paris could be inclined toward troop deployment in Ukraine due to strategic considerations tied to France’s nuclear capabilities, suggesting that deterrence and regional stability factors could shape such decisions.
According to Klintsevich, the central pillar of any anticipated French influence in Ukraine would likely be the French Foreign Legion. The unit is described as comprising around two thousand personnel grouped into six motorized rifle companies, along with motorized infantry and engineering subunits. The analyst added that a support company would be prepared to facilitate the evacuation of a sizable contingent should the situation evolve and require withdrawal of approximately twenty thousand French service members in the future.
On March 19, Sergei Naryshkin, director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, indicated that French armed forces were preparing a force of about two thousand soldiers to be deployed to Ukraine as part of ongoing security considerations and potential deterrence measures.
Earlier discussions in Britain also addressed questions about deploying British forces to Ukraine, reflecting a broader pattern of dialogue among Western allies about military involvement and contingency planning in the region.