Russian incursion - Paris intends to dispatch military trainers to Kiev, Ukraine.
France is set to send military trainers to Ukraine after intentions were expressed by the Ukrainian government. Ukrainian commander-in-chief Olexander Syrskyj shared on Facebook, "I welcome France's initiative to send trainers to train Ukrainian army personnel." Papering the way for the first trainers to visit their facilities, Syrskyj signed the necessary documents. Although there hadn't been an official confirmation from France regarding the proposed training mission, the French Defense Ministry eventually acknowledged, "Training on Ukrainian soil is one of the projects under discussion." Furthermore, the Ministry added, "This question will also be further discussed with the Ukrainian side to understand their exact needs."
Ukraine has been battling a Russian offensive war for over two years. It's been speculated that Western military trainers could be deployed in the war zone to aid the frail Ukrainian army more effectively. So far, these training programs haven't been realized.
Previously, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu updated his Ukrainian counterpart about an impending delivery of Caesar artillery, Aster air defense missiles, and Scalp cruise missiles that France had promised. Discussions regarding future aid were also taken up, with Lecornu mentioning no additional details.
Former Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovic, alongside members of his political movement Slovensko, rallied at Kiev's Independence Square (Maidan) to garner more EU support for Ukraine. The display featured a banner that read, "EU, wake up! Help Ukraine defend life now!" Along with this, it predicted a higher price for Europe in the form of lost lives should the EU remain silent. Held before the EU elections in June, the action aimed to stir the European authorities.
Latvia plans to invest 20 million euros in drone technology development this year. "We can metaphorically talk about the creation of a drone army," shared Defense Minister Andris Spruds. Investments will be allocated towards infrastructure development and purchasing drones - both locally and abroad. Spruds added, "We are fortifying the whole ecosystem as well as our own industry, which is capable of creating, developing, and supplying these technologies to not only our armed forces but also supporting Ukraine."
Latvia currently helms an alliance with the United Kingdom to send one million drones to Ukraine. The alliance's twelve members, including Germany, are also committed to contributing to drone production and delivering drones and spare parts.
Poland intends to curtail the mobility of Russian diplomats in the country. Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski explained in Brussels that this was due to Russia's hybrid warfare tactics against the EU and Poland. Poland will shortly hand over a diplomatic note to the Russian embassy in Warsaw, restricting diplomats from leaving their regional areas of work. While the ambassador is exempt, other embassy and consulate staff members will be subject to the restrictions. "I hope that Russia will see this as a very serious warning signal," said Sikorski.
Poland, a crucial military ally to Russia-attacked Ukraine, plays a pivotal role as a logistical hub for Western aid to Kiev. In response, Russia views Poland as an enemy.
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Source: www.stern.de
