A FRENCH MILITARY BASE, FRANCE (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron inspected the training of Ukrainian troops at a military camp in eastern France on Wednesday, a show of support a day before President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travels to Paris as part of a European tour meant to encourage support for his victory plan.
It was Macron’s first meeting with some of the 15,000 Ukrainian troops that France has trained since the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, including several thousand put through training courses in Poland.
Zelenskyy is hoping to persuade Ukraine’s allies to adopt a victory plan that he hasn’t publicly presented. Ukraine also hopes that Western partners will agree to its repeated requests to use the long-range weapons they provide to hit targets on Russian soil. Zelenskyy is meeting European leaders this week.
Macron will meet with Zelenskyy on Thursday afternoon at the Elysee presidential palace to "reaffirm France's determination to provide unfailing support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, over the long term and with all its partners," Macron's office said.
The Ukrainian brigade that Macron visited is being battle-readied and armed by France for front-line deployment. For security reasons, Macron’s office said the base’s specific location could not be reported.
French military personnel are teaching the Ukrainian soldiers how to use and maintain French-supplied weapons, and subjecting them to combat-like conditions, with stress, noise and drones. Trenches have been dug using methods and layouts similar to those in Ukraine.
The new force will symbolically be named the “Anne de Kiev brigade,” after a Kyiv princess who became queen of France in 1051 upon marrying King Henry I. Around 1,500 French military personnel are involved in the brigade’s training over several months.
The Ukrainian Brigade No. 155 will eventually be made up of 4,500 troops. Of those, 2,300 are being trained in France, forming three battalions of infantry, plus engineers, artillery teams and other specialists. The brigade’s other battalions will be trained by Ukraine.
After meeting with the brigade's Ukrainian commander, Macron spoke with dozens of troops.
“The Ukrainian soldiers are making progress quicker than we expected,” said the French colonel overseeing the training. He could only be identified by his first name, Paul, in line with military security rules.
Macron’s office said the brigade will get 128 armored troop carriers, 18 Caesar artillery pieces and 18 AMX light tanks, plus Milan anti-tank missiles and heavy trucks. Macron has pledged up to 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) worth of military aid for Ukraine this year.
Inspecting the Ukrainian troops was also meant to highlight that Macron’s influence in defense and foreign affairs remains largely intact, despite shifting politics in France weakening his sway over domestic affairs.
His decision to call surprise legislative elections in June backfired, leaving him with a minority government and strengthening the hand of opponents in parliament.
The government Tuesday survived a no-confidence vote, the first of what threatens to be repeated efforts by Macron's foes to bring down Prime Minister Michel Barnier in the months ahead.
Macron was joined by the French and Ukrainian defense ministers, Sébastien Lecornu and Rustem Umerov, in observing the troops.
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AP correspondent John Leicester in Paris contributed.