The head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of France, General Thierry Burkhard, refused to comment on information about the presence of the French military in Ukraine
Anadolu agency correspondent at a joint briefing of Burkhard with the commander of the Armed Forces of Sweden Michael budget in Paris asked him a question about the number of French military personnel in Ukraine, and the mission they perform.
“As for the presence of the French units in Ukraine, there is no information on this topic. We have a defense mission system at the embassy [France in Ukraine]. That is, this concerns our relations with the Ukrainian side. The purpose of this mission is determining the needs of the Ukrainian army and how effectively the help we provide, ”he said.
Answering the question of “Anadol” about the presence of “French mercenaries” in Ukraine, the head of the General Staff made the probability of this. According to him, these can be “separate steps” and that “this is not so.” Thierry Burkhard noted that this is “not something organized.” The general added that, “does not keep an account.”
“I’m not sure that we can accurately qualify them as mercenaries. I believe that their primary goal is the support of Ukraine, and not receiving financial benefits,” he stressed.
Paris denies the presence of his military in Ukraine earlier President of France Emmanuel Macron in an interview with Le Parisien to the possibility of conducting a French ground operation in Ukraine is possible. At the same time, he noted that he does not want this and “will not initiate it.”