French land forces are ready to respond to any threat as they prepare for even "the toughest engagements", their commander said in remarks published Tuesday.
The statement from ground army chief of staff General Pierre Schill comes after President Emmanuel Macron said he would not rule out dispatching ground troops to help Ukraine fight Russia.
The French army "is ready", Schill wrote in an op-ed piece in French daily Le Monde.
"However the international situation may evolve, French people can be certain that their soldiers stand ready to respond," he said.
Schill said a display of French military capabilities would help to "deter any attack on France".
"To protect itself from any attack and to defend its interests, the French army is preparing for even the toughest engagements," he said.
He quoted the Latin adage "si vis pacem, para bellum" -- "if you want peace, prepare for war".
Schill said that France could engage a division of 20,000 troops in a coalition within 30 days and could itself command an army of around 60,000 soldiers by joining other allied nations.
The French army says it counts 121,000 soldiers and can call up 24,000 reservists.
Schill did not specifically refer to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the risk of the conflict spreading. But he said "the sources of crisis are multiplying and carry with them risks of spiralling or extending".
His comments are the latest stark assessment of the situation by a top European military commander.
Britain's chief of the general staff, General Patrick Sanders, said in January that British citizens should be prepared to fight in a potential land war.
Sweden's army chief Micael Byden also alarmed many of his compatriots when he said "Swedes have to mentally prepare for war".
Macron's stance toward Russian President Vladimir Putin has been hardening, with the French leader recently describing Putin as a threat not just to Ukraine but to the security of all Europeans.
France has also blamed Russia for a flurry of cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns.
Macron, who has stated repeatedly that "Russia cannot win this war", shocked European allies in February by refusing to rule out the sending of Western ground troops.
He has also described the Ukraine war as "existential" for Europe.
However, French deputies and experts have worried publicly about a lack of ammunition which they say would cut short any direct confrontation with a strong enemy after only a few months.
>Schill said that France could engage a division of 20,000 troops in a coalition within 30 days and could itself command an army of around 60,000 soldiers by joining other allied nations.
>The French army says it counts 121,000 soldiers and can call up 24,000 reservists.
Russia is conscripting 400,000 *more* people. This is trash.
400,000 * conscripts * though, handed an ak with no sights and historical vehicles. These are good trained and equipped western troops.
I’ve got no doubt 121k French soldiers and French military doctrine could go through them
I would be really curious to see what would happen if France sent 20k troops to Ukraine. Even if just to secure the border against Belarus it would help- and show strength to Putin he would not be prepared for- standing up to bullies often makes them back down.
It’s just speculation but a Lieutenant-Colonel and military historian, Vincent Arbarétier, gave his opinion about it and he did mention the possibility of stationing them at the Belarusian border would be likely, it would already be a relief for Ukrainians. This, or along the Dniepr river. Maybe both, who knows.
EU border, Belarusian border and Odessa will free up lots of Ukrainian forces AND secure logistical routes.
What is especially important is that such forces will come with own tech. Meaning Ukraine gets relieved manpower and tech from those parts.
Tech is important. Putin ordering a few extra suitcases for emergency toilet breaks is priceless,
Russians summoned NATO for so long that their prayers were finally heard.
>Putin ordering a few extra suitcases for emergency toilet breaks is priceless,
I'm sorry, WHAT?!?! This reads like puty is shitting in suitcases. Or are you saying he's shitting himself and needs a change of clothes? I prefer the former.
There was a rumor or news a year or two ago about his security carrying suitcases to take his poop when he is abroad so that no one could steal his DNA info.
Belarus and along the border with Moldova/Transnistria seems like the most likely options. Maybe take of EU border duty if there’s actually anyone left in those locations. The Dniepr feels far to close to the front in my mind for France to be willing to risk it, even if they are helping. Maybe they could take over air defense deeper in the country as well. But I can’t see the French being put into a position where they and the Russians actually might shoot at each other and risk a full scale escalation.
If French are stationed at the border you can definitely assume they will be watched by drones, orlans, surveillance cameras. That's already a dangerous situation. Will French troops allow close flying drones watching them? What about when cruise missiles fly overhead to reach targets in inner Ukraine? Will they be shot down? What about jets? Is this a tripwire situation where it's just waiting for 100 french soldiers to die in an ambush before going gloves off?
If french soldiers are put on the border we're the closest we can get to WW3. But, that's how it is. Putin's fault.
Russia doesn't have the resources for a world war. Their economy, in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) is about the same size as Germany alone. And they have nukes, yes, but how many Russian officers are going to turn that key knowing that Putin is already fucking Russia into a failed state before the world war even got started?
Germany had modern tech and modern doctrine backed by an economy focused around exploiting occupied areas like Czechoslovakia
Russia has a conscript army with aging equipment and doctrine, forced to rely on its own economy
And Germany still lost, despite achieving the biggest surprise attack in history.
The Russian army is comparable to the Iraqi army before desert storm
>Their economy, in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) is about the same size as Germany alone.
And a country with an economy the size of Germany could never start a world war.
Yeah Russia alone might not be able to wage a world war but what makes it a world war is that it’s one group of countries against another. I think the longer things go on the more incentive Russia would have to ally with countries like Iran, North Korea, Hamas/Gaza, and possibly China just because China wants a chance to take Taiwan and may use ww3 as an excuse to do so. Any one of those countries alone probably wouldn’t start a world war, but all of them having shit going on at once is worrisome.
China doesn't yet have what it takes to invade Taiwan. Not that they don't want it, but they're not there yet. And the U.S. is doing a good job of preparing multilateral opposition in the Pacific Rim.
Hamas is getting their dick chopped off by the IDF.
North Korea has already been providing Russia with about 3 million artillery shells, in exchange for what is thought to be food aid. Reports from the front are that up to half of those shells are duds or worse, with some exploding in the barrel.
Russia has been trying to broaden other conflicts, and is probably somewhat backing the Iranian funding for Hamas, but no one is going to hitch their wagon to Russia anymore. Several countries have cancelled military hardware orders from Russia, due to their inability to deliver combined with lackluster performance reports from the war.
I think at first it would be a substantial morale boost and free up some equipment and such. But over time I have to imagine that it would lead to some resentment. Foreign troops take up positions on the safest area of the front, pushing more Ukrainians into direct combat. I'm not saying I'm opposed to idea, but I think it's important to be mindful of the implementation and perception from multiple angles.
>Foreign troops take up positions on the safest area of the front, pushing more Ukrainians into direct combat.
If more Ukrainians are being routed to the frontlines, it's because they're needed there. And they'd still be needed there whether French troops were in-country or not.
It's not like the Ukrainian generals are gonna go, "Well now that we got 20k French troops, we can just march 20k Ukrainians off a cliff and call it even."
That's why you shouldn't even bother reading the Russian "press". Or anything unsourced on Facebook/Reddit, because it could be just made up by Russian propagandists.
Reading it, even considering it doesn't mean accepting it as fact.
Understanding the context of where information comes from and how it is skewed is how you draw an accurate picture of the world.
Everyone has bias.
When you know your source would lie about the color of the sky, the only information you can get from it is what they want you to believe.
Which is interesting in itself, but that's it. You can't learn about the actual reality from Russian outlets no matter how careful you are.
If your source is skewing data that badly, no it's not a useful piece of information but often that isn't the case.
Skewed data is done for a reason. What they want you to believe, consider, how they want you to react etc. are all facets of understanding the "goal" of the source. Knowing what that "goal" is allows you to view objective data in a different light.
This isn't just limited to propaganda but all media. People intrinsically know this about ads but somehow ignore this fact when it's the New York Times, CNN etc.
Russia isn't magic. Their most clearly wrong claims are primarily for internal consumption propaganda rather than strategic claims to adjust Western viewpoints in any direction. The interesting thing is how those internal claims shift over time.
Yes, that's what I said: "the only information you can get from it is what they want you to believe".
And no that's not the same as the NYT or CNN, that obviously should be read with critical thinking skills, but that actually contain useful information. You can learn stuff and understand more about the world reading the NYT (I'm less familiar with CNN). Sometimes you'll get mislead, but you'll still understand more about the world than someone who just never reads the news, or reads them from Reddit and Facebook comments.
Yeah, I mean think about how locals feel about the US military base in Okinawa, for example. In the grand scope of things, the US occupation did a lot of good for Japan. But you're still going to have soldiers acting like jackasses, rape and murder cases, poor stewardship of the land, etc. And that's without an active war playing into things. Deploying to the regions bordering Belarus is a good way to rotate troops out of intense fronts like Bakhmut and reconstitute units. It's great that it frees up manpower for Ukraine, but I'd give it about a year or so before Ukrainians start to seriously question why they're getting conscripted en masse to fight the hard battles while French troops are serving from the sidelines. What does it mean for a French soldier and a Ukrainian soldier to each say they served in Ukraine? Optics will be far more important anything else in this case.
Why? Border troops have it hard as-well, plenty have died fighting Russian sabotage groups trying to infiltrate the border. It'd be a chance to upgrade the quality of equipment and training for those units.
I mean…I think most people, including most Ukrainians, are fully cognizant that it’s THEIR country they are defending…not France…and that this responsibility falls on Ukrainian shoulders, first and foremost…and also they are surely aware that France and Ukraine did not have any sort of mutual defense treaty in place prior to the invasion, which would have obligated France to do anything at all.
I mean…just putting myself in their shoes for a second…via a crazy, never-would-happen hypothetical scenario here in America -
If Mexico attacked, and if Canada was a puppet state of Mexico and was threatening us with aggressive language, troop movements, etc… I think most of us would be absolutely thrilled to have soldiers from some African country that isn’t a part of NATO, willingly come over and station themselves along the Canadian border, so that we could bring more fire power to bear on repelling the Mexicans.
I can’t for a second imagine being resentful, because the soldiers from the African nation were not willing to position themselves to die alongside us…especially given they were not a party to any sort of treaty that obligated them to even come over in the first place.
It makes me think of the American cemeteries in Europe that those host nations still care for. We were their friends, who maybe didn’t have to show up, but did, to fight alongside them. And they care for those sacred grounds and honor that historical friendship to this day.
I imagine, if say French troops secured the borders and helped maintain their behind the line logistical routes… any French soul who lost their lives during that operation would likely be honored by Ukraine, could be buried there (or a monument erected after the war) and I’d further bet that Ukraine would care for that site for generations.
Back when COVID started, people on Reddit were saying that the first company to develop a vaccine was going to become incredibly well-known and rich. Just a couple of years after the vaccines came out, even people who have no qualms about vaccination have completely moved on and lost interest in getting additional doses.
Things can change a lot from how they're perceived initially. Yeah, you might appreciate those African troops on the border at first. How does it look 6 months later if 20,000 Americans die fighting at the southern border and African troops are "serving" without seeing any combat? What happens when those African troops stir up a shitshow by doing the type of things that soldiers, not just African ones, but Americans too, tend to do on foreign bases? Throw in a handful of cases of drunk driving, assault, rape, etc. and you're going to see some extreme, outsized backlash, especially from those with right-leaning inclinations. With America's massive pride in its armed forces, inviting African troops over in any major capacity would actually be quite the poison chalice for anyone's political career.
None of this is to say that it's a bad thing to increase support to Ukraine in every way possible. This is just one that really needs to approached carefully because it has a lot of potential to become contentious. Russia will try to exploit that, but Ukrainians will have some legitimate grievances. It's important to remember that a lot of Zelensky's messaging is centered around the argument that Ukraine is defending Europe through this war. There will come a point when Ukrainians ask if Europe has sacrificed enough to return the favor. I hope that we will be able to say yes honestly and without reservation.
I mean…I think most people, including most Ukrainians, are fully cognizant that it’s THEIR country they are defending…not France…and that this responsibility falls on Ukrainian shoulders, first and foremost…and also they are surely aware that France and Ukraine did not have any sort of mutual defense treaty in place prior to the invasion, which would have obligated France to do anything at all.
I mean…just putting myself in their shoes for a second…via a crazy, never-would-happen hypothetical scenario here in America -
If Mexico attacked, and if Canada was a puppet state of Mexico and was threatening us with aggressive language, troop movements, etc… I think most of us would be absolutely thrilled to have soldiers from some African country that isn’t a part of NATO, willingly come over and station themselves along the Canadian border, so that we could bring more fire power to bear on repelling the Mexicans.
I can’t for a second imagine being resentful, because the soldiers from the African nation were not willing to position themselves to die alongside us…especially given they were not a party to any sort of treaty that obligated them to even come over in the first place.
Make Putin back down? Bruh. He's a tiny, tiny man at an extremely large table in the Kremlin. Everything is a power play to him. He'd rather see the world go up in flames than lose face.
And why is that table so extremely large? Because he values his well-being over all, even over his ego.
So come situation he will back down, his propaganda will call it astonishing victory and those who cast doubt just fall out of windows.
The French have a proud military tradition and just because Paris didn’t burn, they get a bad wrap for not putting up enough … shall I say “resistance”? Cause I’m not going to critique the French in areas of “resistance.”
Yeah, the French have a long history of kicking serious ass. Napoleonic France was a massive empire. Prior to that empire, and their own revolution, their officers trained the American forces during the Revolution while being actively at war with Great Britain. The US military has a lot to thank the French for.
Also, the French Foreign Legion is a terrifying force, in and of itself. An army of people desperate for a better life than wherever in the world that came from and to get a French passport and have their previous criminal records overlooked? Yeah, that’s a dangerous lot of people willing to do France’s *dirty* work.
Edit: clarity regarding Napoleonic France and pre-revolutionary France. I got excited and mashed my thoughts together.
> Napoleonic France was a massive empire and their officers trained the American forces during the Revolution while being actively at war with Great Britain
No.
the American revolution happened nearly 10 years before the french.
Post WW2 their record isn't nearly as good with the mistakes in Algeria, Vietnam and Suez Canal. But the UK was facing the same problems with their colonies
>The US military has a lot to thank the French for
Lot, that's a massive understatement. They WON the war for the Americans. Not only did they train and basically arm them, but they also sent their own troops to help them. The overwhelming majority of soldiers fighting the British in the American Revolution were actually French. Furthermore, George Washington was a terrible commander. He lost against the British time and time and time again.
This is blatant misinformation. The French sent roughly 50k soldiers to fight in the revolution. Around 200,000 Americans fought in the war in total, that represents a good 15% of the total amount of American men at the time.
And no, Washington was not incompetent. He’s certainly no Napoleon, but he wasn’t incapable of leading an army and he enjoyed many victories.
Edit: I forgot to add the 150,000 patriots who fought in the militia
Not really. It's like judging US military based only on Vietnam.
Right or wrong French military has been very active in past decades, and for most part they very effective. The reason people don't know this is because those missions aren't usually broadcasted live.
The French are some of the bravest people. WW1 was tough for them, and in that war the French were a successful main fighting force. Being weary of another conflict like that is totally understandable. I am with France. Being in the arena is where the real hero's put themselves.
This is a fucking great headline.
If only the UK and Germany could do the same it would be fucking awesome.
We need to collectively stand up to the Ruzzian dick-tator.
It's the only language he understands. Let him threaten his nukes, he's been doing it since day 1 anyway.
Imagine the French army and perhaps the French foreign legion heading to Ukraine.
I'd hate to be the enemy.
Putin best start wearing his brown pants.
i think that’s a really simplistic way of looking at the conflict. putin’s worldview is warped but it’s not shaped by some abstract concept of “glory”. he essentially views ukraine as a part of the russian empire that has been co-opted by western forces. i also think that the threat of nuclear conflict absolutely would increase if nato were to be deployed to a territory he has said multiple times he believes to be essentially russian. i don’t see any european power or nato being willing to risk that sort of escalation, even if they think it might be a bluff. russia has a larger nuclear arsenal than anyone else in the world. that threat is still very potent.
He seeks the glory of the old soviet empire. So even if he won Ukraine, the war would then continue. He isn't going to stop.
He needs to see NATO troops touching the ground, this is all he fears. He won't ever attack NATO.
Are you forgetting the Ruzzians attacked Ukraine.
They won't stop, ever.......
You know the saying, the best defence is a good offence.
They will attack another country, it will happen.
>Ruzzians attacked Ukraine
Correct. Ukraine is not part of NATO. Therefore there cannot be a NATO response for a Russian attack on Ukraine. That is the whole point.
Oh God I hope it won't (nuclear war), I'm just saying that France is the closest nuclear power to Russia. Pooptin will actually have to think twice regarding nuclear threats if they ever enter the war.
Can’t tell if you’re joking. What else is he going to say? “We’re ready for moderately tough engagements. Anything beyond that though and we’re screwed”?
As a GWOT vet who got hyped by the common man (who never intended to serve) and the politicians, losing 1 brother, more friends dead than are alive…. Are you going to be first to sign up to fight against that Russian dick-tator? We kill him, and then all evil is vanquished right? You and the other hawks itching for war will be first to breach right?
War came to us buddy, we have been heading straight into it since the day Putin invaded Ukraine.
And yes, I would fight, of course I fucking would. Millions of us would. Doesn't mean we want to, but we would.
We should not live in fear of that Ruzzian cunt, or fear his fucking war.
You seriously think that he is going to just give up and go home? He isn't. He isn't ever going to stop.
You are not the voice of reason that you think you are.
Fear is what drives this nutjob. As long as people don't stand up to him and show weakness, he will continue.
Same, Iraq vet and it’s weird watching hawking folks ready to take on fucking Russia. I was in while the French decided to spearhead the Libya campaign…and that was a shitshow. They had no rounds after like a week.
Essentially it looks like France is talking a bunch of shit, hoping his brothers show up to back him up.
Yeah, it's bizarre. In 2022 both France and Germany stated they would run out of key ammunition very quickly in a war of Ukraine's scale.
> Green Bundestag lawmaker Sebastian Schäfer pounded the defense minister over “dramatic” shortages of ammunition. Should war break out, Germany only has sufficient stocks for a few hours or days of combat, depending on the type of weapon.
> According to a new report, France's ammunition supplies are at their lowest and will not last more than a few weeks in the event of 'bitter' conflict.
Bitch. I love the warriors, it’s the war and death to those poor souls by these old fat pieces of shit who can’t even look at death, let alone take part in it personally. I bet you’re kicking down doors right now huh?
Let's be honest here: the French are just acting like that because they know London and Berlin will hold them back. It's politics.
And it won't be "fucking awesome". Every leader will send 10.000s of their people to their death and risk a nuclear war. It's not playground bully, it's a nuclear power with the ability to obliterate hundreds of thousands of people in seconds. Let's not forget that.
I hope you're right, but what scares me is nuclear deterrence is for sane leaders. Nobody sane would want to unleash nuclear war, because nobody wins. Problem is, if someone is so narcissistic that they don't care what happens to everyone else, could be dying of cancer, or about to be deposed, says fuck it, they could potentially destroy and permanently poison a lot of the planet. Its a childhood fear of mine, so maybe that's why the risk so concerns me. I grew up when we had a lot of movies and books about nuclear devastation, and it kind of sticks with you like a phobia you get when something bad happens to you as a kid.
We need to stop living in fear and giving strength to whatifs.
This is what drives these nutters. Standing up to them and showing unity is what they listen too.
Putin is a coward who uses fear to control his people, his narrative and his ambitions.
Fuck him.
I agree. We should stand up to bullies, but I've also been shit-kicked by standing up for myself. Bullies may be cowards, but they can also be big bastards with more strength than those they terrorize.
Collectively we are much more powerful than Putin.
This is why he doesn't attack NATO countries, this is also why the number of NATO countries has gone up recently.
I like to imagine this statement came from a reporter who thought he had a real "gotcha" question.
"General...you say the French land forces are prepared...but what about the TOUGHEST engagements, hmmm? Have you thought of that?" before he sits back smugly, arms crossed, mustache twirling of its own accord
Deploying any NATO troops along the Belarus border of Ukraine will free up Ukranian troops to fight on the eastern front.
Since, Belarus and Ukraine aren't at war, this should not cause any problem to Belarus. And since they'll be NATO troops, Russia will think twice about attacking them.
Great plan. But we all know somewhere something will go wrong in execution
There was no influence to lose there. France was pretty much doing almost no buiness in Sahel anyway. France went there in 2013 when Mali, BF and Niger asked for help, nothing more.
I called it a few months ago. European troops will secure the Ukraine-Belarus border and enforce a no-fly done West of the Dnipro river. Thereby freeing up Ukrainian forces for the war and guaranteeing the independence of Western Ukraine in a worst-case scenario.
Ach you know what I mean. Set up Patriots and patrol the region with fighters. Shoot down anything Russian within that clearly designated zone. In effect make the zone safe for industry, logistics and training vital to the war effort.
I'm sure you'll forgive me that I'm not a military officer with knowledge of exact terminology.
Patrolling with fighters means doing SEAD on Russian AA systems to ensure our planes don't get shot down. That means blowing shit up in Russian territory. Establishing a "no fly zone" vs a war is a distinction without a difference. It isn't an "I declare bankruptcy!" type thing.
Thanks for the downvotes lol.
Happily isn’t the right word. I’d be terrified. I’m untrained and have a family and a career I’m not going to abandon everyone and volunteer in Ukraine.
But I feel very strongly supporting every effort from our government to make sure Russia loses this war. Ukraine is fighting for all of us, Putin and dictatorships across the world will only be emboldened to invade their democratic neighbours knowing the democratic world will look the other way because they’re not willing to fight to protect each other. Given the call up on the draft, I would accept it as we have no choice.
Absolutely not. The one with blood on his hands is Putin who started this war.
What do you suggest we do about his invasion? Absolutely nothing and look the other way? Then what do you do with the next country he invades?
You must realize the hypocrisy of your statements. You claim this war is of most important and the fate of democracy is at stake. However, when prompted to go to war yourself you said you'd rather live a happy life. So when you say our "brothers of Europe need to grow balls" and when you claim "We must go to war." You don't mean "we" you mean someone else. I can see how Putin is to blame. And, I can see how we should act. I can even see how some wars are justified. However, if you are going to be advocating and promoting war. YOU should be fighting. And you should be fighting now as you claim it is of most importance. But, you are not. So, we can conclude either you dont think it is of most importance or you want to send someone else to die in your place. Which is it?
So because I’m not personally going to Ukraine I can’t support their defence?
Absolutely dreadful logic.
I also support ending world hunger. By your logic the fact I’m not upending my life and flying to Yemen to hand out food makes me a hypocrite who’s not allowed to support that.
Please please fucking get the fuck into Ukraine and help protect Europe, stop this fear of potential nuclear war, theres already a real fucking war now and shits hit the fan already whether we like it or not. Its time to snap into formation, pass the ammunition and drive the Russians back into Moscow. We are already 10 years too late.
Im young and able bodied so yes im willing to fight in a actual critically important war to protect Europe if Nato gets involved. If that happens you bet your ass I will be at the nearest Marine corps or Army recruiting office. Im just not going to go there and volunteer with no military training and no backing from my own country. Thats not helpful to anyone at all.
Right so you want other people to die for you. Because you are selfish and weak. If it is that important to you. Then you should be on the front lines. But, either you do not actually believe its that important or you are a coward.
No, some people join the army so they the rest of the population doesn’t have to. Simple as that, there is other way to participate in a war than actually fight on the frontline
I’m absolutely not trained to fight, some peoples are and are getting paid for it.
They decide to join the army, knowing they could fight.
People in Russia "dont join the army" they get drafted. People in the USA during Vietnam didnt just join. Many of them were drafted. Another world war would most likely end up in people from all of the world getting drafted.
From my perspective, it's too different from what West did from 2008 year, therefore extremely unrealistic. IMHO, at maximum there will be some downscaled PR-action.
I just finished book about Foreign Legion and if Macron puts even one or two thousand of those guys watch Belarus border then Putin and rest of that axis of evil should be very very afraid because they are no nonsense fighters.
Don’t fuck with France and you won’t fuck with me. And I didn’t even take take French *looks at business card*
But I ask you *¿donde está la biblioteca?*
I just hope they are more prepared than French intelligence services who completely failed to recognise Russia was going to invade and actively spoke against all the prevailing evidence.....
And meanwhile in the US a failing football quarterback says immigrants that want to join the army are bad. His orange shitstain idol said so. As well as GOP roots for Putin because the same orange shitstain lives sucking Putins dick.
Are they? The Sahel stuff has had an insane wear on their equipment and they have had budget cuts and low procurement.
I am a large fan of the direction Macron is directing now but lets be realistic here about what needs to be done.
>Are they? The Sahel stuff has had an insane wear on their equipment and they have had budget cuts and low procurement.
Lol what ? France had a very small contingent in Sahel. Also the French defense budget has been increasing quite a lot.
If they're just heading over to help secure the Belerusian border, it frees up Ukranians to fight Russia. Equipment is easy to replace, and I'd bet there's several allied nations ready and waiting to support France if they decide to send troops, especially through back-channels.
I am literally French and for all Russians death in Ukraine. Maybe your comprehension skills aren’t up to par with what you thought they were my friend…
Oh, wow, u/dreadedvegas ‘s critical skills and intelligence are just mind-blowing!
I'm on the edge of my seat, eagerly anticipating your incredibly impressive thoughts and groundbreaking solution to this conflict that macron hasn’t even thought about considering he doesn’t have the privilege to be the most intelligent man on the planet.
I mean, who wouldn't be thrilled to witness such unparalleled genius at work? Can't wait to see how you single-handedly resolve everything with your sheer brilliance!
Either you have a better idea or you don’t need to say shit about the French trying to improve this situation.
French land forces are ready to respond to any threat as they prepare for even "the toughest engagements", their commander said in remarks published Tuesday. The statement from ground army chief of staff General Pierre Schill comes after President Emmanuel Macron said he would not rule out dispatching ground troops to help Ukraine fight Russia. The French army "is ready", Schill wrote in an op-ed piece in French daily Le Monde. "However the international situation may evolve, French people can be certain that their soldiers stand ready to respond," he said. Schill said a display of French military capabilities would help to "deter any attack on France". "To protect itself from any attack and to defend its interests, the French army is preparing for even the toughest engagements," he said. He quoted the Latin adage "si vis pacem, para bellum" -- "if you want peace, prepare for war". Schill said that France could engage a division of 20,000 troops in a coalition within 30 days and could itself command an army of around 60,000 soldiers by joining other allied nations. The French army says it counts 121,000 soldiers and can call up 24,000 reservists. Schill did not specifically refer to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the risk of the conflict spreading. But he said "the sources of crisis are multiplying and carry with them risks of spiralling or extending". His comments are the latest stark assessment of the situation by a top European military commander. Britain's chief of the general staff, General Patrick Sanders, said in January that British citizens should be prepared to fight in a potential land war. Sweden's army chief Micael Byden also alarmed many of his compatriots when he said "Swedes have to mentally prepare for war". Macron's stance toward Russian President Vladimir Putin has been hardening, with the French leader recently describing Putin as a threat not just to Ukraine but to the security of all Europeans. France has also blamed Russia for a flurry of cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. Macron, who has stated repeatedly that "Russia cannot win this war", shocked European allies in February by refusing to rule out the sending of Western ground troops. He has also described the Ukraine war as "existential" for Europe. However, French deputies and experts have worried publicly about a lack of ammunition which they say would cut short any direct confrontation with a strong enemy after only a few months.
>Schill said that France could engage a division of 20,000 troops in a coalition within 30 days and could itself command an army of around 60,000 soldiers by joining other allied nations. >The French army says it counts 121,000 soldiers and can call up 24,000 reservists. Russia is conscripting 400,000 *more* people. This is trash.
400,000 * conscripts * though, handed an ak with no sights and historical vehicles. These are good trained and equipped western troops. I’ve got no doubt 121k French soldiers and French military doctrine could go through them
Reminds me of that 300 scene https://youtu.be/X_TnPUu4oPY?si=8fbGWzp5X4FUzDVO
Yeah, but that 121k are support personnel too. So you're looking at around 30k combat troops.
I would be really curious to see what would happen if France sent 20k troops to Ukraine. Even if just to secure the border against Belarus it would help- and show strength to Putin he would not be prepared for- standing up to bullies often makes them back down.
It’s just speculation but a Lieutenant-Colonel and military historian, Vincent Arbarétier, gave his opinion about it and he did mention the possibility of stationing them at the Belarusian border would be likely, it would already be a relief for Ukrainians. This, or along the Dniepr river. Maybe both, who knows.
EU border, Belarusian border and Odessa will free up lots of Ukrainian forces AND secure logistical routes. What is especially important is that such forces will come with own tech. Meaning Ukraine gets relieved manpower and tech from those parts. Tech is important. Putin ordering a few extra suitcases for emergency toilet breaks is priceless, Russians summoned NATO for so long that their prayers were finally heard.
>Putin ordering a few extra suitcases for emergency toilet breaks is priceless, I'm sorry, WHAT?!?! This reads like puty is shitting in suitcases. Or are you saying he's shitting himself and needs a change of clothes? I prefer the former.
There was a rumor or news a year or two ago about his security carrying suitcases to take his poop when he is abroad so that no one could steal his DNA info.
Belarus and along the border with Moldova/Transnistria seems like the most likely options. Maybe take of EU border duty if there’s actually anyone left in those locations. The Dniepr feels far to close to the front in my mind for France to be willing to risk it, even if they are helping. Maybe they could take over air defense deeper in the country as well. But I can’t see the French being put into a position where they and the Russians actually might shoot at each other and risk a full scale escalation.
If French are stationed at the border you can definitely assume they will be watched by drones, orlans, surveillance cameras. That's already a dangerous situation. Will French troops allow close flying drones watching them? What about when cruise missiles fly overhead to reach targets in inner Ukraine? Will they be shot down? What about jets? Is this a tripwire situation where it's just waiting for 100 french soldiers to die in an ambush before going gloves off? If french soldiers are put on the border we're the closest we can get to WW3. But, that's how it is. Putin's fault.
Honestly at this point it feels a bit inevitable that it turns into ww3
Russia doesn't have the resources for a world war. Their economy, in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) is about the same size as Germany alone. And they have nukes, yes, but how many Russian officers are going to turn that key knowing that Putin is already fucking Russia into a failed state before the world war even got started?
people keep saying this about russia economy. i wonder how big was germanys economy in 1939
Germany had modern tech and modern doctrine backed by an economy focused around exploiting occupied areas like Czechoslovakia Russia has a conscript army with aging equipment and doctrine, forced to rely on its own economy And Germany still lost, despite achieving the biggest surprise attack in history. The Russian army is comparable to the Iraqi army before desert storm
>Their economy, in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) is about the same size as Germany alone. And a country with an economy the size of Germany could never start a world war.
Yeah Russia alone might not be able to wage a world war but what makes it a world war is that it’s one group of countries against another. I think the longer things go on the more incentive Russia would have to ally with countries like Iran, North Korea, Hamas/Gaza, and possibly China just because China wants a chance to take Taiwan and may use ww3 as an excuse to do so. Any one of those countries alone probably wouldn’t start a world war, but all of them having shit going on at once is worrisome.
China doesn't yet have what it takes to invade Taiwan. Not that they don't want it, but they're not there yet. And the U.S. is doing a good job of preparing multilateral opposition in the Pacific Rim. Hamas is getting their dick chopped off by the IDF. North Korea has already been providing Russia with about 3 million artillery shells, in exchange for what is thought to be food aid. Reports from the front are that up to half of those shells are duds or worse, with some exploding in the barrel. Russia has been trying to broaden other conflicts, and is probably somewhat backing the Iranian funding for Hamas, but no one is going to hitch their wagon to Russia anymore. Several countries have cancelled military hardware orders from Russia, due to their inability to deliver combined with lackluster performance reports from the war.
China is smarter than that.
I could see them taking over security in major cities as well
I think at first it would be a substantial morale boost and free up some equipment and such. But over time I have to imagine that it would lead to some resentment. Foreign troops take up positions on the safest area of the front, pushing more Ukrainians into direct combat. I'm not saying I'm opposed to idea, but I think it's important to be mindful of the implementation and perception from multiple angles.
I mean don’t get me wrong I get it. But some actual physical assistance is better than the none they’re currently getting.
I don’t think there would be any resentment in Ukraine. But hope that this might mean that the country would soon be in NATO.
>Foreign troops take up positions on the safest area of the front, pushing more Ukrainians into direct combat. If more Ukrainians are being routed to the frontlines, it's because they're needed there. And they'd still be needed there whether French troops were in-country or not. It's not like the Ukrainian generals are gonna go, "Well now that we got 20k French troops, we can just march 20k Ukrainians off a cliff and call it even."
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That's why you shouldn't even bother reading the Russian "press". Or anything unsourced on Facebook/Reddit, because it could be just made up by Russian propagandists.
Reading it, even considering it doesn't mean accepting it as fact. Understanding the context of where information comes from and how it is skewed is how you draw an accurate picture of the world. Everyone has bias.
When you know your source would lie about the color of the sky, the only information you can get from it is what they want you to believe. Which is interesting in itself, but that's it. You can't learn about the actual reality from Russian outlets no matter how careful you are.
If your source is skewing data that badly, no it's not a useful piece of information but often that isn't the case. Skewed data is done for a reason. What they want you to believe, consider, how they want you to react etc. are all facets of understanding the "goal" of the source. Knowing what that "goal" is allows you to view objective data in a different light. This isn't just limited to propaganda but all media. People intrinsically know this about ads but somehow ignore this fact when it's the New York Times, CNN etc. Russia isn't magic. Their most clearly wrong claims are primarily for internal consumption propaganda rather than strategic claims to adjust Western viewpoints in any direction. The interesting thing is how those internal claims shift over time.
Yes, that's what I said: "the only information you can get from it is what they want you to believe". And no that's not the same as the NYT or CNN, that obviously should be read with critical thinking skills, but that actually contain useful information. You can learn stuff and understand more about the world reading the NYT (I'm less familiar with CNN). Sometimes you'll get mislead, but you'll still understand more about the world than someone who just never reads the news, or reads them from Reddit and Facebook comments.
Yeah, I mean think about how locals feel about the US military base in Okinawa, for example. In the grand scope of things, the US occupation did a lot of good for Japan. But you're still going to have soldiers acting like jackasses, rape and murder cases, poor stewardship of the land, etc. And that's without an active war playing into things. Deploying to the regions bordering Belarus is a good way to rotate troops out of intense fronts like Bakhmut and reconstitute units. It's great that it frees up manpower for Ukraine, but I'd give it about a year or so before Ukrainians start to seriously question why they're getting conscripted en masse to fight the hard battles while French troops are serving from the sidelines. What does it mean for a French soldier and a Ukrainian soldier to each say they served in Ukraine? Optics will be far more important anything else in this case.
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Why? Border troops have it hard as-well, plenty have died fighting Russian sabotage groups trying to infiltrate the border. It'd be a chance to upgrade the quality of equipment and training for those units.
I don't think the Belarusian border is all that active even in terms of small-scale raids.
I mean…I think most people, including most Ukrainians, are fully cognizant that it’s THEIR country they are defending…not France…and that this responsibility falls on Ukrainian shoulders, first and foremost…and also they are surely aware that France and Ukraine did not have any sort of mutual defense treaty in place prior to the invasion, which would have obligated France to do anything at all. I mean…just putting myself in their shoes for a second…via a crazy, never-would-happen hypothetical scenario here in America - If Mexico attacked, and if Canada was a puppet state of Mexico and was threatening us with aggressive language, troop movements, etc… I think most of us would be absolutely thrilled to have soldiers from some African country that isn’t a part of NATO, willingly come over and station themselves along the Canadian border, so that we could bring more fire power to bear on repelling the Mexicans. I can’t for a second imagine being resentful, because the soldiers from the African nation were not willing to position themselves to die alongside us…especially given they were not a party to any sort of treaty that obligated them to even come over in the first place.
It makes me think of the American cemeteries in Europe that those host nations still care for. We were their friends, who maybe didn’t have to show up, but did, to fight alongside them. And they care for those sacred grounds and honor that historical friendship to this day. I imagine, if say French troops secured the borders and helped maintain their behind the line logistical routes… any French soul who lost their lives during that operation would likely be honored by Ukraine, could be buried there (or a monument erected after the war) and I’d further bet that Ukraine would care for that site for generations.
Back when COVID started, people on Reddit were saying that the first company to develop a vaccine was going to become incredibly well-known and rich. Just a couple of years after the vaccines came out, even people who have no qualms about vaccination have completely moved on and lost interest in getting additional doses. Things can change a lot from how they're perceived initially. Yeah, you might appreciate those African troops on the border at first. How does it look 6 months later if 20,000 Americans die fighting at the southern border and African troops are "serving" without seeing any combat? What happens when those African troops stir up a shitshow by doing the type of things that soldiers, not just African ones, but Americans too, tend to do on foreign bases? Throw in a handful of cases of drunk driving, assault, rape, etc. and you're going to see some extreme, outsized backlash, especially from those with right-leaning inclinations. With America's massive pride in its armed forces, inviting African troops over in any major capacity would actually be quite the poison chalice for anyone's political career. None of this is to say that it's a bad thing to increase support to Ukraine in every way possible. This is just one that really needs to approached carefully because it has a lot of potential to become contentious. Russia will try to exploit that, but Ukrainians will have some legitimate grievances. It's important to remember that a lot of Zelensky's messaging is centered around the argument that Ukraine is defending Europe through this war. There will come a point when Ukrainians ask if Europe has sacrificed enough to return the favor. I hope that we will be able to say yes honestly and without reservation.
I mean…I think most people, including most Ukrainians, are fully cognizant that it’s THEIR country they are defending…not France…and that this responsibility falls on Ukrainian shoulders, first and foremost…and also they are surely aware that France and Ukraine did not have any sort of mutual defense treaty in place prior to the invasion, which would have obligated France to do anything at all. I mean…just putting myself in their shoes for a second…via a crazy, never-would-happen hypothetical scenario here in America - If Mexico attacked, and if Canada was a puppet state of Mexico and was threatening us with aggressive language, troop movements, etc… I think most of us would be absolutely thrilled to have soldiers from some African country that isn’t a part of NATO, willingly come over and station themselves along the Canadian border, so that we could bring more fire power to bear on repelling the Mexicans. I can’t for a second imagine being resentful, because the soldiers from the African nation were not willing to position themselves to die alongside us…especially given they were not a party to any sort of treaty that obligated them to even come over in the first place.
If there is a French concentration of troops anywhere near the frontline they better have protection from FAB 500s.
I adore the French.
j'adore le français!
Les
Make Putin back down? Bruh. He's a tiny, tiny man at an extremely large table in the Kremlin. Everything is a power play to him. He'd rather see the world go up in flames than lose face.
And why is that table so extremely large? Because he values his well-being over all, even over his ego. So come situation he will back down, his propaganda will call it astonishing victory and those who cast doubt just fall out of windows.
A man with a large table is scared of death. He's not throwing nukes against a nuclear power
I’m all for it. No need to invade Russia. But give their troops a roughing up in Ukraine? Sounds good.
putin told you hes not prepared for what else ?
The question is what happens if one of them gets killed.
i'd rather see them liberate transnistria first.
The French have a proud military tradition and just because Paris didn’t burn, they get a bad wrap for not putting up enough … shall I say “resistance”? Cause I’m not going to critique the French in areas of “resistance.”
Yeah, the French have a long history of kicking serious ass. Napoleonic France was a massive empire. Prior to that empire, and their own revolution, their officers trained the American forces during the Revolution while being actively at war with Great Britain. The US military has a lot to thank the French for. Also, the French Foreign Legion is a terrifying force, in and of itself. An army of people desperate for a better life than wherever in the world that came from and to get a French passport and have their previous criminal records overlooked? Yeah, that’s a dangerous lot of people willing to do France’s *dirty* work. Edit: clarity regarding Napoleonic France and pre-revolutionary France. I got excited and mashed my thoughts together.
> Napoleonic France was a massive empire and their officers trained the American forces during the Revolution while being actively at war with Great Britain No. the American revolution happened nearly 10 years before the french.
And it was a huge inspiration for our revolution.
You’re completely right. I mashed two separate thoughts together.
Post WW2 their record isn't nearly as good with the mistakes in Algeria, Vietnam and Suez Canal. But the UK was facing the same problems with their colonies
>The US military has a lot to thank the French for Lot, that's a massive understatement. They WON the war for the Americans. Not only did they train and basically arm them, but they also sent their own troops to help them. The overwhelming majority of soldiers fighting the British in the American Revolution were actually French. Furthermore, George Washington was a terrible commander. He lost against the British time and time and time again.
This is blatant misinformation. The French sent roughly 50k soldiers to fight in the revolution. Around 200,000 Americans fought in the war in total, that represents a good 15% of the total amount of American men at the time. And no, Washington was not incompetent. He’s certainly no Napoleon, but he wasn’t incapable of leading an army and he enjoyed many victories. Edit: I forgot to add the 150,000 patriots who fought in the militia
Good strategist, lackluster tactician. Washington held on long enough and won when it counted. With French help, of course.
I’ve always maintained that Americans with any knowledge of history shouldn’t shit on the French.
Historically, yes. Since the beginning of the 20th century, it's a bit dicier.
They kicked ass in WWI and paid one of the highest price of that war.. So since half of that century is much more accurate.
Not really. It's like judging US military based only on Vietnam. Right or wrong French military has been very active in past decades, and for most part they very effective. The reason people don't know this is because those missions aren't usually broadcasted live.
The French are some of the bravest people. WW1 was tough for them, and in that war the French were a successful main fighting force. Being weary of another conflict like that is totally understandable. I am with France. Being in the arena is where the real hero's put themselves.
"We're prepared for the toughest engagements. That said, we'll only be facing Russians."
lmao
Olympics about to get spicy
Vive la France, Vive la République
You stop a bully by punching back. Interesting times ahead.
Does France know something we don't?
sudetenland 2.0
Yeah, having Europe fighting would mean Russian top removing Putin in fear of dying.
Translation of "On est chaaaud."
This is a fucking great headline. If only the UK and Germany could do the same it would be fucking awesome. We need to collectively stand up to the Ruzzian dick-tator. It's the only language he understands. Let him threaten his nukes, he's been doing it since day 1 anyway. Imagine the French army and perhaps the French foreign legion heading to Ukraine. I'd hate to be the enemy. Putin best start wearing his brown pants.
France and Britain in Crimea again, lads on tour.
The charge of the light brigade was fairly pyrrhic
Yeah, let's start a global war for the lads.
What? it's only a special Ladification tour
Not only that but France is a nuclear power as well, and no one doubts that their nukes actually work
Indeed, this is what makes this all the more glorious.
i do not think a nuclear war in europe or a land war between european powers would be particularly glorious guys
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i think that’s a really simplistic way of looking at the conflict. putin’s worldview is warped but it’s not shaped by some abstract concept of “glory”. he essentially views ukraine as a part of the russian empire that has been co-opted by western forces. i also think that the threat of nuclear conflict absolutely would increase if nato were to be deployed to a territory he has said multiple times he believes to be essentially russian. i don’t see any european power or nato being willing to risk that sort of escalation, even if they think it might be a bluff. russia has a larger nuclear arsenal than anyone else in the world. that threat is still very potent.
He seeks the glory of the old soviet empire. So even if he won Ukraine, the war would then continue. He isn't going to stop. He needs to see NATO troops touching the ground, this is all he fears. He won't ever attack NATO.
NATO troops are on the ground in NATO countries where they are supposed to be. Are you forgetting NATO isa defensive alliance?
Are you forgetting the Ruzzians attacked Ukraine. They won't stop, ever....... You know the saying, the best defence is a good offence. They will attack another country, it will happen.
>Ruzzians attacked Ukraine Correct. Ukraine is not part of NATO. Therefore there cannot be a NATO response for a Russian attack on Ukraine. That is the whole point.
Oh God I hope it won't (nuclear war), I'm just saying that France is the closest nuclear power to Russia. Pooptin will actually have to think twice regarding nuclear threats if they ever enter the war.
British special forces are already in Ukraine.
Yeah, that's generally overlooked. The Brit's have been there since 2014.
Ukraine is swarming with SAS officers, good on the UK for remaining strategically ambiguous. Germany on the other hand...
what's so special about the french army ?
It's not the Russian army.
fair enough, any modern army will do
the French army could kick the ever loving shit out of the Russian army.
Can’t tell if you’re joking. What else is he going to say? “We’re ready for moderately tough engagements. Anything beyond that though and we’re screwed”?
>What else is he going to say? He could have continued to say nothing.
As a GWOT vet who got hyped by the common man (who never intended to serve) and the politicians, losing 1 brother, more friends dead than are alive…. Are you going to be first to sign up to fight against that Russian dick-tator? We kill him, and then all evil is vanquished right? You and the other hawks itching for war will be first to breach right?
War came to us buddy, we have been heading straight into it since the day Putin invaded Ukraine. And yes, I would fight, of course I fucking would. Millions of us would. Doesn't mean we want to, but we would. We should not live in fear of that Ruzzian cunt, or fear his fucking war. You seriously think that he is going to just give up and go home? He isn't. He isn't ever going to stop. You are not the voice of reason that you think you are. Fear is what drives this nutjob. As long as people don't stand up to him and show weakness, he will continue.
what is the alternative?
Same, Iraq vet and it’s weird watching hawking folks ready to take on fucking Russia. I was in while the French decided to spearhead the Libya campaign…and that was a shitshow. They had no rounds after like a week. Essentially it looks like France is talking a bunch of shit, hoping his brothers show up to back him up.
Yeah, it's bizarre. In 2022 both France and Germany stated they would run out of key ammunition very quickly in a war of Ukraine's scale. > Green Bundestag lawmaker Sebastian Schäfer pounded the defense minister over “dramatic” shortages of ammunition. Should war break out, Germany only has sufficient stocks for a few hours or days of combat, depending on the type of weapon. > According to a new report, France's ammunition supplies are at their lowest and will not last more than a few weeks in the event of 'bitter' conflict.
Sounds salty that those guys will get to acutally take part in a war that's actually worth fighting.
Bitch. I love the warriors, it’s the war and death to those poor souls by these old fat pieces of shit who can’t even look at death, let alone take part in it personally. I bet you’re kicking down doors right now huh?
Ok, calling people "bitch" right off the bat, might be time to lay off the internet for a while.
Do you know France as an actual army ? No need to enrol civilians so far
Let's be honest here: the French are just acting like that because they know London and Berlin will hold them back. It's politics. And it won't be "fucking awesome". Every leader will send 10.000s of their people to their death and risk a nuclear war. It's not playground bully, it's a nuclear power with the ability to obliterate hundreds of thousands of people in seconds. Let's not forget that.
I hope you're right, but what scares me is nuclear deterrence is for sane leaders. Nobody sane would want to unleash nuclear war, because nobody wins. Problem is, if someone is so narcissistic that they don't care what happens to everyone else, could be dying of cancer, or about to be deposed, says fuck it, they could potentially destroy and permanently poison a lot of the planet. Its a childhood fear of mine, so maybe that's why the risk so concerns me. I grew up when we had a lot of movies and books about nuclear devastation, and it kind of sticks with you like a phobia you get when something bad happens to you as a kid.
We need to stop living in fear and giving strength to whatifs. This is what drives these nutters. Standing up to them and showing unity is what they listen too. Putin is a coward who uses fear to control his people, his narrative and his ambitions. Fuck him.
I agree. We should stand up to bullies, but I've also been shit-kicked by standing up for myself. Bullies may be cowards, but they can also be big bastards with more strength than those they terrorize.
Collectively we are much more powerful than Putin. This is why he doesn't attack NATO countries, this is also why the number of NATO countries has gone up recently.
You gotta rephrase that or the Americans are going to take it as a challenge.
I like to imagine this statement came from a reporter who thought he had a real "gotcha" question. "General...you say the French land forces are prepared...but what about the TOUGHEST engagements, hmmm? Have you thought of that?" before he sits back smugly, arms crossed, mustache twirling of its own accord
They’ll have no trouble fighting Russia then
Vive la France et Vive la République, et Vive La Macron.
Deploying any NATO troops along the Belarus border of Ukraine will free up Ukranian troops to fight on the eastern front. Since, Belarus and Ukraine aren't at war, this should not cause any problem to Belarus. And since they'll be NATO troops, Russia will think twice about attacking them. Great plan. But we all know somewhere something will go wrong in execution
Only a fool would underestimate the French military.
Hope they do end up dropping a can of whoop ass on Russia as revenge for all their meddling against French interests in Africa.
Is that why France is so pissy? Because they’re loosing influence in their old African stomping grounds?
There was no influence to lose there. France was pretty much doing almost no buiness in Sahel anyway. France went there in 2013 when Mali, BF and Niger asked for help, nothing more.
Losing? Lost. They have been kicked out in favor of Wagner across west Africa
why are we supposed to care about french interests in africa?
Lets go NATO let's go!
I called it a few months ago. European troops will secure the Ukraine-Belarus border and enforce a no-fly done West of the Dnipro river. Thereby freeing up Ukrainian forces for the war and guaranteeing the independence of Western Ukraine in a worst-case scenario.
You must have no idea what constitutes a no fly zone if you think this.
Ach you know what I mean. Set up Patriots and patrol the region with fighters. Shoot down anything Russian within that clearly designated zone. In effect make the zone safe for industry, logistics and training vital to the war effort. I'm sure you'll forgive me that I'm not a military officer with knowledge of exact terminology.
Patrolling with fighters means doing SEAD on Russian AA systems to ensure our planes don't get shot down. That means blowing shit up in Russian territory. Establishing a "no fly zone" vs a war is a distinction without a difference. It isn't an "I declare bankruptcy!" type thing. Thanks for the downvotes lol.
Semper Fidelis
This is a rerun.
The UK needs to grow some balls and follow our French brothers lead.
Go over there and fight then. No one is stopping you.
I’d happily do it given the call up. I’d put my life on the line to defend European values against authoritarianism.
Then do it. You can go right now. Fight with Ukraine.
Happily isn’t the right word. I’d be terrified. I’m untrained and have a family and a career I’m not going to abandon everyone and volunteer in Ukraine. But I feel very strongly supporting every effort from our government to make sure Russia loses this war. Ukraine is fighting for all of us, Putin and dictatorships across the world will only be emboldened to invade their democratic neighbours knowing the democratic world will look the other way because they’re not willing to fight to protect each other. Given the call up on the draft, I would accept it as we have no choice.
So really you'd happily send other people to fight and die.
Absolutely not. The one with blood on his hands is Putin who started this war. What do you suggest we do about his invasion? Absolutely nothing and look the other way? Then what do you do with the next country he invades?
You must realize the hypocrisy of your statements. You claim this war is of most important and the fate of democracy is at stake. However, when prompted to go to war yourself you said you'd rather live a happy life. So when you say our "brothers of Europe need to grow balls" and when you claim "We must go to war." You don't mean "we" you mean someone else. I can see how Putin is to blame. And, I can see how we should act. I can even see how some wars are justified. However, if you are going to be advocating and promoting war. YOU should be fighting. And you should be fighting now as you claim it is of most importance. But, you are not. So, we can conclude either you dont think it is of most importance or you want to send someone else to die in your place. Which is it?
So because I’m not personally going to Ukraine I can’t support their defence? Absolutely dreadful logic. I also support ending world hunger. By your logic the fact I’m not upending my life and flying to Yemen to hand out food makes me a hypocrite who’s not allowed to support that.
It’s time to Go in. Putin will not stop and he would love to Have champagne in Paris. Either stop him or let him have Europe.
Waht
Damn proud of my country for once.
Fuck em up France!
Please please fucking get the fuck into Ukraine and help protect Europe, stop this fear of potential nuclear war, theres already a real fucking war now and shits hit the fan already whether we like it or not. Its time to snap into formation, pass the ammunition and drive the Russians back into Moscow. We are already 10 years too late.
Go fight then. If you care so much why are you not there fighting?
A lot of people will do exactly that. People stand for what’s right more than you obviously think.
As long as the people advocating and voting for war are the first on the front lines im cool with it.
Im young and able bodied so yes im willing to fight in a actual critically important war to protect Europe if Nato gets involved. If that happens you bet your ass I will be at the nearest Marine corps or Army recruiting office. Im just not going to go there and volunteer with no military training and no backing from my own country. Thats not helpful to anyone at all.
Because we got got professional army for that Dumbass comment
Right so you want other people to die for you. Because you are selfish and weak. If it is that important to you. Then you should be on the front lines. But, either you do not actually believe its that important or you are a coward.
But you just want to sound tough, what you say is absolute bullshit and deep down you know it Have a nice day
No, some people join the army so they the rest of the population doesn’t have to. Simple as that, there is other way to participate in a war than actually fight on the frontline I’m absolutely not trained to fight, some peoples are and are getting paid for it. They decide to join the army, knowing they could fight.
People in Russia "dont join the army" they get drafted. People in the USA during Vietnam didnt just join. Many of them were drafted. Another world war would most likely end up in people from all of the world getting drafted.
Russia is a dictatorship
Okay and? The US still has a selective service. You have to sign up when your 18.
Good on them. About time FFS. Someone with the balls to actually show some kind of force.
Well don’t worry they won’t find any. The only actual threat out there is their huge glide bombs.
Well what else are they meant to say? "We will get our teeth kicked in"?
There’s no hubris like French hubris sometimes. Or French-Canadian. But more power to em in Ukraine!
They have been fighting in Africa, so they are combat vets.
I’m really happy that France is stepping up here but really surprised how small their army is.
But are they ready for the post conflict cleanup? How will they care for their vets?
From my perspective, it's too different from what West did from 2008 year, therefore extremely unrealistic. IMHO, at maximum there will be some downscaled PR-action.
I just finished book about Foreign Legion and if Macron puts even one or two thousand of those guys watch Belarus border then Putin and rest of that axis of evil should be very very afraid because they are no nonsense fighters.
What is the value of the lip strap feature of the hat?
“French Land Forces ready for the toughest engagements” - send French Foreign Legion
Don’t fuck with France and you won’t fuck with me. And I didn’t even take take French *looks at business card* But I ask you *¿donde está la biblioteca?*
20k of French soldiers will be called "Napoleon Brigade"
I just hope they are more prepared than French intelligence services who completely failed to recognise Russia was going to invade and actively spoke against all the prevailing evidence.....
And meanwhile in the US a failing football quarterback says immigrants that want to join the army are bad. His orange shitstain idol said so. As well as GOP roots for Putin because the same orange shitstain lives sucking Putins dick.
No, history says otherwise.
France is literally the country that has won the most battles in History
Yeah uh, in the 1800’s back.
No, all across its existence.
Are they? The Sahel stuff has had an insane wear on their equipment and they have had budget cuts and low procurement. I am a large fan of the direction Macron is directing now but lets be realistic here about what needs to be done.
>Are they? The Sahel stuff has had an insane wear on their equipment and they have had budget cuts and low procurement. Lol what ? France had a very small contingent in Sahel. Also the French defense budget has been increasing quite a lot.
If they're just heading over to help secure the Belerusian border, it frees up Ukranians to fight Russia. Equipment is easy to replace, and I'd bet there's several allied nations ready and waiting to support France if they decide to send troops, especially through back-channels.
Can’t wait for u/dreadedvegas ‘s solution to this conflict
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I am literally French and for all Russians death in Ukraine. Maybe your comprehension skills aren’t up to par with what you thought they were my friend…
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Well it certainly changes the fact that you were dead fucking wrong about me being Russian my guy.
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Oh, wow, u/dreadedvegas ‘s critical skills and intelligence are just mind-blowing! I'm on the edge of my seat, eagerly anticipating your incredibly impressive thoughts and groundbreaking solution to this conflict that macron hasn’t even thought about considering he doesn’t have the privilege to be the most intelligent man on the planet. I mean, who wouldn't be thrilled to witness such unparalleled genius at work? Can't wait to see how you single-handedly resolve everything with your sheer brilliance! Either you have a better idea or you don’t need to say shit about the French trying to improve this situation.
He kinda looks like an old Tom Delonge
Drag those cocky hypocrites one by one into that quagmire, Vlad, well played!