MOSCOW, January 17. /TASS/. France deployed troops to Ukraine under the guise of instructors and volunteers at the very beginning of the special military operation, French politician, International Russophile Movement Vice President Fabrice Sorlin said in an interview with TASS as he commented on statements by French President Emmanuel Macron about the possible deployment of troops.

"First of all, all serious analysts, unfortunately, know that French troops are already present in Ukraine. This is not a surprise. Almost at the very beginning of the conflict, France deployed a number of troops under the guise of instructors and volunteers," he said.

Paris has retreated from its historical role as peacemaker, the politician noted. "Macron's statements [about possibly sending troops to Ukraine] are worrying because they add fuel to the fire and lead to escalation. Historically, France has played the role of peacemaker, and it should do the same, find a balance, and seek to reduce tensions, for example, by organizing a large-scale peace conference in Versailles. But instead, Macron is only making the situation worse," he stressed.

Macron previously did not rule out the possibility of sending several thousand French troops to Ukraine after the conflict ends.