Ukraine welcomes French instructors for training collaboration

Ukraine’s top commander said Monday he had signed paperwork allowing French military instructors to visit Ukrainian training centers soon.

“I am pleased to welcome France’s initiative to send instructors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian servicemen,” Oleksandr Syrskyi said on the Telegram messaging app after talks via video link with French defense minister Sebastien Lecornu.

“I have already signed the documents that will enable the first French instructors to visit our training centers shortly and familiarize themselves with their infrastructure and personnel,” Syrskyi said.

Syrskyi gave no further details but said he believed France’s determination would encourage other partners to join this “ambitious project.”

In a “clarification” issued later on X, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Kyiv had been expressing interest in a project receiving foreign instructors since February.

“As of now, we are still in discussions with France and other countries on this issue,” it said.

French President Emmanuel Macron has opened the door to sending troops to Ukraine and, at a conference in Paris on Feb. 26, suggested that one area Western troops could help with would be to train Ukrainians in Ukraine.

France’s Defense Ministry said in a statement to Reuters: “As already mentioned several times, training on Ukrainian soil is one of the projects discussed since the conference on support for Ukraine convened by the President of the Republic on Feb. 26.

“Like all the projects discussed at that time, this track continues to be the subject of work with the Ukrainians, particularly to understand their exact needs,” the French Defense Ministry added.