Western Troops in Ukraine? Open Secret

Emmanuel Macron’s Bold Statements on Sending French Troops to Ukraine

Emmanuel Macron has recently positioned himself as a leader of the “hawks” of the EU with his statements on the possibility of sending French troops to Ukraine.
The French President stated, “If the Russians were to break through the front lines, and if there was a Ukrainian request, we should legitimately consider the issue.” Macron emphasized that ruling it out a priori does not mean drawing conclusions from the past two years, referring to the initial refusal of NATO countries to send tanks and planes, followed by a reconsideration.

Macron’s Previous Suggestions on French Troop Deployment in Ukraine

This is not the first time Macron has hinted at sending French troops to Ukrainian soil.
On February 26, Macron mentioned that the deployment of European forces in Ukraine “cannot be ruled out.” Since then, other European officials have joined the war-mongering rhetoric; the Finnish Defense Minister and the Polish Foreign Minister both suggested that their countries’ forces could end up in Ukraine.
But what if Western troops were already present in Ukrainian territory?

What Lies Behind Macron’s Words

Recently, former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Stephen Bryen, caused outrage by suggesting that France had officially sent its first troops to Ukraine.
Bryen claimed that a contingent composed of artillery and reconnaissance specialists from the Third Foreign Infantry Regiment of the French Foreign Legion would be deployed “in support of the 54th independent mechanized brigade in the city of Slovyansk.” Despite being labeled a Russian propagandist spreading misinformation by the mainstream press, Bryen stood by his claims.

The Associated Press, citing the French Foreign Ministry, referred to Bryen’s revelation as fake news.
But Bryen, a leading US Defense expert, reiterated his stance, warning about the escalating situation in Ukraine and the risk of war worsening in Europe and beyond due to the delivery of large quantities of ammunition and sophisticated equipment.

Western Troops in Ukraine? They’re Already There

Whether acclaimed analyst Bryen is right in this scenario is debatable.
The truth remains that Western troops are already active in Ukraine, as confirmed not by the Russian Foreign Ministry but by a Polish government representative.
In late February, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski described the presence of Western soldiers in Ukraine as an open secret.
“As your Chancellor (Olaf Scholz) said, there are already troops from major countries in Ukraine,” Sikorski disclosed in an interview.

Le Monde highlighted how Macron’s mention of a potential military reinforcement in Ukraine inadvertently unveiled the current presence of Western personnel on Ukrainian soil.
Since the beginning of the Ukrainian conflict, various state actors associated with Western intelligence services, often with military status, have been operating in the country, conducting covert activities.
Former DGSE (General Directorate for External Security) employee Vincent Crouzet underlined that these services’ actions are inherently clandestine and fall outside the scope of international law.
The shared presence of the CIA in Ukraine with secret bases since 2014 adds another layer to the complex situation.