William Molinié, edited by Julien Moreau
modified to
07:18, February 08, 2023
The end of the war in Ukraine is not for tomorrow. This is the certainty of the NATO staffs who are considering reorganizing the military forces in the Baltic States. France is even thinking of perpetuating its presence on the spot, this shift towards a permanent installation of the troops will be at the heart of the discussions of the next meeting of the Ministers of Defense of NATO.
For six years, French soldiers have been deployed in Ukraine in the form of rotation within the framework of NATO. With the Russian invasion on February 24, certain mandates were brought forward or extended. According to our information, the presence of French troops could be permanent and therefore remain over time.
300 French soldiers in Ukraine
In Estonia, 300 French soldiers are currently stationed at Tapa, and take turns with the Danish soldiers in a battalion under British command. France has decided to deploy an infantry subgroup specializing in attrition combat in difficult environments.
In Lithuania, French gusts also protect the sky on the eastern flank of NATO. Faced with the Russian threat hanging over these border countries, the allies are seeking to renew the structure of their presence. Logistical questions arise from this, in particular concerning personnel, the maintenance of equipment and the infrastructures designed to temporarily accommodate the contingents.
Show the reliability of the Alliance
Switching to a permanent installation would send a reassuring message to the Baltic countries, whose concern has been growing for several weeks. “It would also show our reliability within the Alliance”, declared a military source to Europe 1. This shift towards a permanent installation of the troops will be at the heart of the discussions of the next meeting of the Ministers of Defense of NATO in Brussels to be held next Tuesday.