According to the publication, Macron held a closed meeting, which was attended by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces General Fabien Mandon, chairmen of the National Assembly Yael Braun-Pivet and the Senate Gerard Larcher, as well as chairmen of parliamentary groups and party leaders.
According to the newspaper's sources, Macron wanted to provide political forces with “confidential details” about France's role in maintaining post-war security, “so that everyone clearly understands the stakes.” No one at the table “objected in principle” to the mechanism presented by the head of state, while some parliamentarians even see this coalition of volunteers as a possible alternative to NATO, the article says.
The US promise to intervene if the Russian Federation attacks Ukraine again has sparked debate, the journalists' interlocutors indicate. A number of parliamentarians said that they do not trust the “American word”; in their opinion, there is no reason to trust US President Donald Trump.
French forces will not go to the front line, but will “support the Ukrainian army,” Chief of the General Staff Mandon emphasized.
Context
On January 6, Ukraine, France and Great Britain signed a declaration of intent for the upcoming deployment of multinational forces in Ukraine after the end of the war.
Participants in the “coalition of the willing” meeting, in particular, agreed on material and military support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which will be the first line of defense to deter potential Russian aggression. The number of Armed Forces of Ukraine will be 800 thousand military personnel.
In March 2025 The Times citing sources, it was reported that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to send more than 10 thousand military personnel from the country as part of a Western peacekeeping contingent of 64 thousand people.
