Russian invasion: Kiev: Paris wants to send military trainers to Ukraine

According to information from Kiev, France wants to send military instructors to Ukraine. He welcomed “France’s initiative to send instructors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian army personnel,” wrote Ukrainian commander-in-chief Olexander Syrskyj on Facebook. Syrskyj added that he had already signed documents “that will enable the first French instructors to soon visit our training centers and familiarize themselves with their infrastructure and personnel.” There was initially no official confirmation from France that such a training mission was actually planned.

Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian war of aggression for more than two years. Recently there has been repeated discussion about the possible deployment of Western military trainers to the war zone in order to more effectively support the Ukrainian army, which is under pressure. Officially, there are no such training programs yet.

In response to a request from the German Press Agency, the Ministry of Defense in Paris only said in the evening: “As has already been mentioned several times, training on Ukrainian soil is one of the construction sites that (…) are being discussed.” It continued: “Like all the topics discussed on this occasion, this issue will continue to be discussed with the Ukrainian side, in particular in order to understand their exact needs.”

Previously, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu had reported on a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart. The conversation concerned upcoming deliveries of Caesar guns, Aster air defense missiles and Scalp cruise missiles, which France had previously promised. The conversation also concerned future aid packages, which the minister did not elaborate on.

Slovakian ex-head of government demonstrates for more EU aid

Former Slovakian Prime Minister Igor Matovic and members of his political movement Slovensko have called for more EU support for Ukraine in Kiev. They displayed a poster dozens of meters long on the capital’s Independence Square, the Maidan. “EU, wake up! Help Ukraine defend lives now!” it read. Otherwise, the EU will have to pay a higher price in the lives of its citizens in a few years, the slogan continued. The action is aimed at shaking Europe up before the EU parliamentary elections in June, said Matovic.

Latvia wants to invest 20 million euros in “drone army”

Latvia plans to allocate 20 million euros to the development of drones this year. “We can speak metaphorically about building a drone army,” said Defense Minister Andris Spruds in Riga. Investments will be made in both the development of infrastructure and the purchase of drones – including from Latvian companies. “We are strengthening the entire ecosystem and at the same time our own industry, which is able to innovatively create, develop and provide these technologies both for our armed forces and to support Ukraine,” said the Latvian minister.

For example, a drone test site at the Latvian military base Selija is to be put into operation in the summer. Drone pilots are also to be trained at various levels of the defense sector and an ideas hackathon “Drones for Ukraine” is to take place at the end of the month, Spruds said.

Latvia is leading an alliance with Great Britain to deliver one million drones to Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia. The dozen or so members – including Germany – have committed to investing resources in drone production and delivering drones and spare parts to Ukraine.

Poland restricts freedom of movement of Russian diplomats

Poland wants to restrict the freedom of movement of Russian diplomats in the country. The reason is Russia’s involvement in hybrid warfare against the EU and Poland, said Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski in Brussels. A corresponding diplomatic note will soon be handed over to the Russian embassy in Warsaw. The restrictions will not apply to the ambassador himself, but to all other diplomats working in the embassy and consulates. In future, they will only be allowed to move within the region of their place of work. “I hope that Russia will see this as a very serious warning signal,” said Sikorski.

The Polish government suspects Russian secret services of being responsible for cyberattacks and several major fires. According to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, twelve people were arrested last week on suspicion of attempted sabotage.

Poland is one of the most important military supporters of Ukraine, which is being attacked by Russia. The EU and NATO country also plays an important role as a logistical hub for Western aid to Kyiv. Russia therefore views Poland as an enemy.