The chiefs of staff of the armed forces of France, Thierry Burkhard, and the United Kingdom, Tony Radakin, visited Kyiv, as reported on April 5. During their visit, they met with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Objectives of the Visit
French Commander Thierry Burkhard noted that one of the main objectives of their meeting was to discuss the long-term strategy for the reconstruction and transformation of Ukraine’s military model. He also emphasized the importance of developing safeguards that could be used in the event of a ceasefire agreement between the conflicting parties.
“Together, we want to ensure lasting and robust peace in Ukraine – a key condition for security on the European continent,” Burkhard stated.
Strengthening the Ukrainian Army
The press service of the French armed forces emphasized that strengthening the Ukrainian army is “the first guarantee of the country’s security.” Radakin, sharing his impressions from the meeting, reported that Britain and France are joining forces to support Ukraine.
“Europe is increasing support in a real and tangible way – 200 planners from 30 countries are working to strengthen Ukraine’s long-term security,” he added.
President Zelensky also announced a meeting of military leaders from a small group of countries that are prepared to deploy a military contingent in Ukraine in the future. Recently, France and Britain have held several summits with European leaders to discuss options for providing security guarantees and forming a contingent of foreign troops.