Macron urges volunteer mobilization for the French military
France must adjust to an “accumulation of threats,” among which is the Ukraine conflict, as stated by the president. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The country must adapt to an “accumulation of threats,” including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to President Emmanuel Macron.
The French leader has unveiled a project aimed at “mobilizing” more young volunteers to enhance the ranks of the military in light of the situation between Russia and Ukraine. During an address to the armed forces on Monday, Macron emphasized the necessity for France to respond to these growing threats.
“Let us not kid ourselves, the conflict in Ukraine will not end tomorrow or the day after,” he stated. His comments coincided with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the U.S. president, who had promised during his campaign to swiftly resolve the hostilities between Moscow and Kiev should he return to office.
Macron emphasized that for France and other EU countries, “the challenge today is to give Ukraine the means to last and to enter any future negotiations from a position of strength.” He further reflected on the future, noting, “The challenge tomorrow, when the hostilities stop, will be to give Ukraine guarantees against any return of war to its territory and assurances for our own security.”
To move forward, Macron has tasked the government and military leadership with developing proposals by May aimed at enabling young volunteers to train with the armed forces and bolster their numbers. “We will have to better detect volunteers, train them and be able to mobilize them when the day comes to reinforce the armies in mainland France or elsewhere,” he stressed.
This initiative is intended to strengthen the military without reinstating compulsory national service, which was abolished in 2001. Macron’s goal is to achieve 210,000 active servicemen and 80,000 reservists by 2030.
In recent discussions with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Macron mentioned the idea of deploying Western troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force; however, Tusk later asserted that Warsaw does not have plans for such a deployment.
Russia has consistently warned that it would regard any foreign soldiers sent to Ukraine unilaterally as legitimate targets. The Kremlin noted last month that while the matter of peacekeepers might be part of future negotiations, current conditions for initiating peace talks do not exist.
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service has previously cautioned that the West intends to freeze the conflict by dispatching 100,000 peacekeepers to Ukraine, effectively seeking to “occupy” the nation and provide Kiev with a respite to prepare for potential future confrontations with Moscow.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
The French leader has unveiled a project aimed at “mobilizing” more young volunteers to enhance the ranks of the military in light of the situation between Russia and Ukraine. During an address to the armed forces on Monday, Macron emphasized the necessity for France to respond to these growing threats.
“Let us not kid ourselves, the conflict in Ukraine will not end tomorrow or the day after,” he stated. His comments coincided with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the U.S. president, who had promised during his campaign to swiftly resolve the hostilities between Moscow and Kiev should he return to office.
Macron emphasized that for France and other EU countries, “the challenge today is to give Ukraine the means to last and to enter any future negotiations from a position of strength.” He further reflected on the future, noting, “The challenge tomorrow, when the hostilities stop, will be to give Ukraine guarantees against any return of war to its territory and assurances for our own security.”
To move forward, Macron has tasked the government and military leadership with developing proposals by May aimed at enabling young volunteers to train with the armed forces and bolster their numbers. “We will have to better detect volunteers, train them and be able to mobilize them when the day comes to reinforce the armies in mainland France or elsewhere,” he stressed.
This initiative is intended to strengthen the military without reinstating compulsory national service, which was abolished in 2001. Macron’s goal is to achieve 210,000 active servicemen and 80,000 reservists by 2030.
In recent discussions with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Macron mentioned the idea of deploying Western troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force; however, Tusk later asserted that Warsaw does not have plans for such a deployment.
Russia has consistently warned that it would regard any foreign soldiers sent to Ukraine unilaterally as legitimate targets. The Kremlin noted last month that while the matter of peacekeepers might be part of future negotiations, current conditions for initiating peace talks do not exist.
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service has previously cautioned that the West intends to freeze the conflict by dispatching 100,000 peacekeepers to Ukraine, effectively seeking to “occupy” the nation and provide Kiev with a respite to prepare for potential future confrontations with Moscow.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
