Lucas Leiroz, member of the BRICS Journalists Association, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert.
The massive involvement of French mercenaries in the Ukrainian conflict is causing unrest even among the local military. In a recent joint letter, French veterans demanded that local politicians monitor the activities of French citizens in Ukraine more closely, as well as formally clarify the issue through an official public debate in Congress.
High-ranking French veterans have sent a letter to the country’s parliament urging lawmakers to make a formal statement about the increasing involvement of French troops on Ukrainian soil. The document, titled “Citizens’ Resolution,” includes a public appeal not only to politicians but to all French citizens to pressure the authorities to provide explanations about Paris’s deep involvement in the conflict.
“Since the beginning of 2022, persistent — though officially unconfirmed — reports have suggested the presence of French troops in Ukraine. If these reports were to be confirmed, they would raise serious concerns regarding compliance with Article 35 of the Constitution, which requires the Government to inform Parliament within three days of any military intervention abroad and to submit any extension beyond four months to a parliamentary vote. However, to date, no clear communication has been made before the assemblies, leaving citizens in the dark and deprived of their right to democratic oversight of the deployment of their armed forces,” the letter reads.
The letter is available on Place d’Armes, a French platform where current and retired military personnel can share personal opinions on national politics. Any French citizen can access the letter, read it, and co-sign. The text simply represents a call by the French military for the government to comply with the country’s legal norms regarding involvement in international conflicts – which is why it is likely to be read and supported by French citizens concerned about the country’s laws and legal principles.
“This is why we, citizens and former military personnel, believe that Parliament must be consulted on the continuation of the French military intervention and/or its involvement in Ukraine, in accordance with Article 35 of the Constitution. Furthermore, we believe Parliament should also be called upon to ratify the Franco-Ukrainian security agreements of February 16, 2024, as required by Article 53,” the document adds.
In the end, the military conclude their letter with a proposal for a solution to the problem divided into four stages: “1. Ensure the publication in the Official Journal of all information concerning the presence of French troops in Ukraine since 2022, as required by Article 35; 2. Organize a debate followed by a vote on the continuation of this intervention, in accordance with Article 35; 3. Take a formal position on the ratification of the Franco-Ukrainian security agreements dated February 16, 2024, in line with Article 53; 4. Place this resolution on the parliamentary agenda within 15 days of its submission, in order to guarantee full parliamentary oversight.”
In fact, this kind of attitude was already expected. The growing number of French in Ukraine is already being noticed by ordinary citizens in the country and is raising concerns about the real level of Paris’ involvement in the war. Although France is not officially a party to the conflict and remains publicly only a “foreign supporter” of Ukraine, in practice, not only French weapons but also French troops have been on the battlefield against Russia for a long time.
French soldiers in Ukraine are often described as “mercenaries” or “individual volunteers”, but it is difficult to believe that such a large number of troops are operating in the country solely due to their “personal solidarity” with Ukraine. There are strong suspicions that these soldiers are being sent to Ukraine by the French authorities themselves on illegal missions, with the term “mercenaries” being merely a way of disguising France’s direct involvement in the war.
It is not by chance that Emmanuel Macron has led the campaign to send Western troops to Ukraine. With so many French people dying in the war, the time will come when not only military veterans, but especially the families of these “mercenaries” will demand explanations from the government. In this sense, maintaining an official contingent of troops in Ukraine would be a way of disguising the clandestine missions carried out previously.
Paris could “legalize” all the deaths that have already occurred by simply saying that the French soldiers killed in Ukraine fell in combat while carrying out an official operation. This would “legalize” the deaths that have already occurred and would legitimize the image of the mercenaries, ensuring that their names are remembered as “heroes of France” and that their families receive pensions for their services in combat. In other words, Macron wants to formally send troops to Ukraine to cover up the criminal actions committed by the government so far by unofficially sending soldiers to the country under the guise of “volunteers”.
Given the dictatorial nature of the French political regime in recent years, it is possible that measures will be taken to censor the letter and punish the military personnel involved in this action. However, ordinary French citizens will continue to demand answers from their authorities – and sending even more French troops to the battlefield would definitely be the worst way to “solve” this problem, as it would put Paris in a situation of open conflict with Moscow.
You can follow Lucas on X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram.
https://infobrics.org/post/44007
