French President Emmanuel Macron has said he wants to build a “French brigade” of soldiers in Ukraine.
On Thursday, June 6, world leaders gathered in France for celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy, one of the key operations of World War II. The Ukrainian delegation led by President Vladimir Zelensky was also present at the event. The topic of the war in Ukraine has become one of the central ones in this forum.
Duties of the President
This year, official Paris did not invite Russia to commemorative events. But the Ukrainian president is expected to hold several important meetings on the sidelines of official events for the 80th anniversary in Normandy. Zelensky said he will hold important events and meetings to strengthen Ukraine. He called it a special event to participate in ceremonial events that commemorate courage and determination for the sake of freedom and democracy.
It is expected that during his visit to France, Zelensky will have a bilateral meeting with Emmanuel Macron. At this meeting, the latter could officially announce the plans of Paris to place French instructors in Ukraine.
The day before, the White House reported that during the celebration in France, President Joe Biden will also meet with his Ukrainian counterpart.
Ukraine remembered
Zelensky and first lady Elena Zelenskaya were greeted with applause at a commemorative event at the Omaha Beach beachhead area.
Macron, in his speech, addressing veterans and world leaders, noted Zelensky’s presence at the ceremony. “When we see war return to our continent, when we see people questioning the values we fought for, when we see those who want to change borders by force, rewrite history – let’s stand up have dignity and be equal to the people who arrived here… President of Ukraine, your presence here shows us this very convincingly,” he said.
Macron also promised that France and its allies would continue to support Ukraine.
Joe Biden also drew parallels with Ukraine in his speech. He noted that the dark forces that the Allies fought against 80 years ago have not disappeared. The struggle between dictatorship and freedom is not over. According to Biden, Ukraine remains a prime example of this, because a tyrant is trying to conquer, but the Ukrainians are not backing down. “We will not back down,” Biden assured.
French brigade
Macron said he wants to build a “French brigade” of soldiers in Ukraine. According to the president, the task is to train 4,500 Ukrainian soldiers, equip them, “teach them to defend their land” and form a “French brigade.”
However, so far there is no talk of sending French soldiers to Ukraine.
“The Ukrainian President and Minister of Defense called on all allies to train soldiers faster. We have to ask ourselves if this is a factor for the increase. The answer is no,” Macron said.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.