France will train up to 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers on its soil

These soldiers "will be assigned to our units for several weeks," he explained, stressing that the training will be on three levels: "general training of the fighter," "then, on specific needs reported by the Ukrainians, such as logistics," and "a third level of training on the materials provided.

"We do this in accordance with the rules of law, without ever being in cobelligerence because we are not at war. We are helping a country that is at war" after the invasion of Russia, the minister said.

France will also deliver Crotale air defense systems to Ukraine, said Lecornu, clarifying an announcement made in this sense Wednesday by President Emmanuel Macron.

The number of Crotale short-range anti-aircraft systems that will be sent to Kiev "is being defined with the Ukrainians", but "will be significant to enable them to defend their skies", he said.

We have twelve of them, but it is a device that is intended to gradually die out and be replaced by MAMBA (air defense systems equipped with Aster missiles, with a range of up to 50 km or even 100 km, editor's note), so it will not create a shortage for the French army, "he said, saying that "the goal is to complete this operation in the next two months.

Mr. Lecornu also recalled that in addition to the 18 Caesar guns already sent to Kiev, "discussions are continuing to mobilize six additional guns" and that France is studying "the delivery of ground-to-ground missiles such as the LRU (multiple rocket launchers)" to meet a Ukrainian request.