Macron Says France To Train Ukrainian Fighter Pilots Amid War
France's President Emmanuel Macron spoke a day after Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky visited Paris on the second such trip since Russia invaded its pro-Western neighbour in February last year.
France's President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that his country had "opened the door" to training Ukrainian fighter pilots, even if he excluded sending any warplanes to Kyiv.
Macron spoke a day after Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky visited Paris on the second such trip since Russia invaded its pro-Western neighbour in February last year.
"We have opened the door to training pilots, and this with several other European countries who are also ready. I think discussions are under way with the Americans," he said in a televised interview with the TF1 broadcaster.
"The training can start from now," he said, without providing further details.
After months of stalemate, Ukraine has been preparing to retake ground captured by Russia and is shoring up military assistance to help make its troops more battle-ready.
Macron and Zelensky had dinner on Sunday night, as the Ukrainian leader visited several European countries to shore up his weapons stockpile.
"In the coming weeks, France will train and equip several battalions with tens of armoured vehicles and light tanks including AMX-10RC," they said in a joint statement afterwards.
Macron refused to provide more details during the TF1 interview.
"We have decided to deliver more ammunition," he said.
France had also decided to help "train their troops, the battalions that will be in charge of the counter-offensive" as well as "repair vehicles and cannons".
"France still has the same position: to help Ukraine resist. A lot is at stake right now, because the success of this counter-offensive will be decisive for the capacity to build lasting peace," he said.
Macron spoke a day after Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky visited Paris on the second such trip since Russia invaded its pro-Western neighbour in February last year.
"We have opened the door to training pilots, and this with several other European countries who are also ready. I think discussions are under way with the Americans," he said in a televised interview with the TF1 broadcaster.
"The training can start from now," he said, without providing further details.
After months of stalemate, Ukraine has been preparing to retake ground captured by Russia and is shoring up military assistance to help make its troops more battle-ready.
Macron and Zelensky had dinner on Sunday night, as the Ukrainian leader visited several European countries to shore up his weapons stockpile.
"In the coming weeks, France will train and equip several battalions with tens of armoured vehicles and light tanks including AMX-10RC," they said in a joint statement afterwards.
Macron refused to provide more details during the TF1 interview.
"We have decided to deliver more ammunition," he said.
France had also decided to help "train their troops, the battalions that will be in charge of the counter-offensive" as well as "repair vehicles and cannons".
"France still has the same position: to help Ukraine resist. A lot is at stake right now, because the success of this counter-offensive will be decisive for the capacity to build lasting peace," he said.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.