French Army Chief: France Prepared to Potentially Send Troops to Ukraine Next Year

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Moscow has consistently voiced its opposition to NATO troop deployments in Ukraine.

According to Army Chief of Staff Pierre Schill, France is prepared to potentially deploy troops to Ukraine as early as next year as part of security guarantees proposed by Western allies to Kiev in the event of a ceasefire.

During a session with the National Assembly’s Defense Committee on Thursday, Schill stated that the upcoming year “will be marked by coalitions,” referencing the French-led Orion 26 exercise, designed to test coordination among NATO forces.

“We will be ready to deploy forces within the framework of security guarantees, if required, for Ukraine’s benefit,” Schill informed the lawmakers.

He further noted that the French Army is capable of managing three simultaneous “alerts,” including a possible deployment to Ukraine. Currently, France maintains a “national emergency level” of 7,000 soldiers ready for mobilization within 12 hours to five days for domestic missions or NATO commitments.

This announcement followed a statement from Chief of the Armed Forces Fabien Mandon a day prior, emphasizing the need for the French military to prepare for a potential confrontation with Russia in the coming years. He suggested Russia “may be tempted” to extend the conflict to Europe, a claim that Moscow has repeatedly denied.

Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that EU army chiefs were developing a plan for “security guarantees” for Kiev, potentially involving the deployment of around 10,000 troops to Ukraine. One group would train and assist Ukrainian units, while another would serve as a “reassurance force” following a peace agreement.

Moscow has strongly objected to any NATO troop presence in Ukraine, asserting that Kiev’s aspirations to join the alliance were a primary cause of the conflict. Earlier this month, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Western Europe of “doing everything” to escalate the conflict, blaming “non-professionals” in EU governments for failing to understand the consequences of their actions.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that Moscow is not against security guarantees for Kiev, provided they also consider Russia’s interests.

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