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First group of French military instructors already dispatched to Ukraine, says lawmaker

On May 27, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s armed forces Alexander Syrsky signed documents that should allow French instructors to visit training centers in Ukraine

© Roman Kanashchuk/TASS

MOSCOW, May 31. /TASS/. The first group of military instructors from France has been already dispatched to Ukraine, Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada member Alexey Goncharenko (listed as a terrorist and extremist in Russia) said on Friday.

"My sources informed me that the first group of French [military] instructors is already on its way to Ukraine," Goncharenko wrote on his Telegram channel.

French daily Le Monde reported earlier that Paris intended to intensify consultations in the days to come so that during Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s visit to France on June 6-7, French President Emmanuel Macron would specify the scope of this issue in talks with the Ukrainian leader.

Reuters news agency later cited its unnamed diplomatic sources as saying that France could send military trainers to Ukraine as early as next week, despite the previously voiced concerns among some allies that such decision posed a risk of a direct conflict with Russia.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that previously circulated reports about France preparing to send troops to Ukraine had been confirmed.

On May 27, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s armed forces Alexander Syrsky signed documents that should allow French instructors to visit training centers in Ukraine.

On May 28, French President Macron spoke in favor of allowing Kiev to strike military facilities on Russian territory, those from which strikes on Ukraine are launched, using West’s weapons.

The French president said that France was only helping to defend Ukraine, "staying within the previous framework," and did not want an escalation.

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