PARIS (AP) – French President Emmanuel Macron will meet for the first time Wednesday with some of the 15,000 Ukrainian troops trained by France to fight Russian aggression.
Macron's planned military camp in eastern France, where French officers are training a complete new brigade of 4,500 Ukrainian troops, is a victory for the country's Western allies, backed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. This was done while the plan was being considered.
Mr. Macron's new focus on Ukraine reflects how changes in French politics are weakening his influence on domestic affairs. His decision to hold surprise parliamentary elections in June backfired, preserving the minority government and strengthening the opposition's strength in parliament. The government survived a no-confidence vote late Tuesday, the first of what Mr Macron's opponents threaten to repeatedly try to bring down Prime Minister Michel Barnier in the coming months.
A tour of Ukraine's military in front-line combat and training in French-supplied weapons systems will highlight that Mr. Macron's influence in defense and foreign affairs remains largely intact.
The 155th Ukrainian Brigade will eventually consist of 4,500 troops. 2,300 of them are trained in France, comprising three battalions of infantry, plus engineers, artillery teams and other specialists. The brigade's other battalions will be trained by Ukraine, bringing the brigade's total strength to 4,500 men.
France equips the brigade with 150 armored vehicles, including AMX light tanks, as well as Caesar guns and other weapons.
Macron's office said the training was adapted to front-line conditions, where trainees are exposed to combat-like stress and noise, as well as drones, which the Ukrainian military says it encounters in the fight against Russian invading forces. said. Training trenches are being dug using methods and layouts similar to those in Ukraine.
The French military said it has trained around 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers since the February 2022 invasion, including thousands trained in Poland.
