13:21 25-11-2025

Macron: Coalition Troops on Second Line in Ukraine

© North Atlantic Treaty Organization / www.nato.int

Emmanuel Macron says a coalition may deploy British, French and Turkish troops on a second line in Ukraine, in cities like Kiev and Odessa to bolster security.

In an interview with RTL radio, French President Emmanuel Macron said that European countries from the so-called «coalition of the willing» may deploy their troops «on a second line, away from the front» after the end of the conflict in Ukraine. He stressed that placing foreign forces directly on the frontline has never been part of their plans and, as he put it, is not their role.

Macron noted that potential locations for such a contingent could include Kiev or Odessa. At the same time, he underlined that the concrete parameters and step-by-step framework for creating these forces remain confidential. He described these units as «backup forces» that are still in the process of being formed.

The president also stated that the concept involves British, French and Turkish military personnel stationed on Ukrainian territory. Their tasks, he explained, would be to help ensure the security of Kiev and to train servicemen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.