French President Emmanuel Macron said last month that he “cannot exclude” the possibility of Western soldiers being sent to aid Kiev in its fight against Moscow, branding Russia an “adversary” while denying Paris was “waging war” against it.
Russia’s military and top officials have repeatedly pointed to the presence of French mercenaries already fighting for Kiev on the ground.
In the statement on Tuesday, the SVR chief said the French Armed Forces had become “concerned” about the rising number of French nationals dying in Ukraine.
The casualty level has supposedly surpassed a “psychological threshold” and could trigger protests, the statement said, adding that Macron’s government was concealing this information and “delaying” the moment it would have to be revealed.
The claims come as the chief of staff of the French Army, Gen. Pierre Schill, said in an interview on Tuesday that France is prepared to take part in the “toughest engagements” militarily, and is ready to face any international developments. He added that Paris could assemble a division of 20,000 troops within 30 days and an army of 60,000 by joining with divisions from other NATO allies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has also claimed this week that Western mercenaries, including French nationals, are dying in Ukraine “in large numbers.” Commenting on a potential NATO deployment to Ukraine, the president also warned that this would be “one step shy of a full-scale World War III.”
Cross posted this from lemmygrad
I really hope you are right. Sadly, I don’t think World War III is off the table in our lifetime. Not doom posting; I just think it’s within the realm of possibility, and that alone is very concerning. Not saying even if the French deploy, it’s World War III, just that should it happen, it would be a further step on the path of escalation.
The western media may be high on copium, but every single western military is perfectly aware what a bloodbath the war is for Ukrainian troops
The French elites aren’t going to press the button labeled “most dead French soldiers since WW2” not over Ukraine
This is really an example of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing, while half the media is decrying the retention shortfalls of European armies the other half is pumping its chest out and asserting Macron is about to send the Imperial Guard reborn into the guns of massed Russian artillery
It’s not just Ukraine, mind you. America’s stance towards the PRC has gotten more aggressive as well. It seems like people in some circles of the US government almost want a war with China. I do agree that France would get fucked hard if they deployed their 30,000 to 60,000 men. At the very least, it would serve as a reality check when thousands of soldiers come home in body bags.
Historians might even say WWIII started in 2014 or 2011 or 2003.
Western historians still consider 1939 to be the start of WW2 despite the other half of the world starting it years earlier
WWIII started in 1991