In his re-election speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted at a possible compromise in Ukraine, allegedly floated by former NATO supreme commander Admiral James Stavridis, of a Korean-type solution: the Dnieper River would serve as a natural border between the Russian and Ukrainian sides. Russia would then abandon its plan to liberate Odessa and link up with Transnistria. Ukraine would abandon Crimea, Donbass and most of Novorossiya.

Before NATO responded, France deployed its Foreign Legion to Odessa [1]. President Emmanuel Macron believes that Russia will not dare to attack Odessa and reunite Novorossiya and Transnistria. According to director of Russia’s foreign intelligence service (SVR) Sergei Naryshkin, France has planned to deploy 2,000 soldiers [2] . He said the "sword" of the Russian Federation was waiting for them.

The French president doesn’t seem to understand Russian culture. He is mistaken when he thinks that Moscow will not dare to attack because of the presence of military personnel from a nuclear power. He risks discovering, at the expense of his soldiers, that the nuclear power of France allows it to defend itself, but not to impose its will on Russia.

Odessa is historically both Russian and French. It was founded by Marshal Potemkin, lover of Tsarina Catherine II, who wanted to make it a territory administered according to the principles of the French philosopher Voltaire. In 1801, Tsar Paul entrusted the administration to Armand-Emmanuel du Plessis de Richelieu (whose statue stands in the center of the city) before he became, in 1815, the Prime Minister of the King of France, Louis XVIII.

The French Ministry of the Armed Forces described Sergei Naryshkin’s remarks as "a new example of Russia’s systematic use of massive disinformation" and called for "the utmost vigilance to avoid any instrumentalization by this type of campaign".

Sergei Naryshkin said that dozens of French citizens, presumably volunteer soldiers, have been killed in Ukraine since the fighting began more than two years ago. "As the French Ministry of the Armed Forces unofficially admits, the country has not suffered such losses abroad since the Algerian War in the second half of the 20th century."

We have regularly followed Russian accusations regarding the presence of French "mercenaries" in Ukraine. Last August in particular, at the time of the death of General Jean-Louis Georgelin, former Chief of Staff of the Presidency of the Republic and former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, we reported that his body had not been exposed and that he had probably died on a mission in Ukraine (see VIN n°50).

Switzerland has announced that it is preparing to host Russian-Ukrainian talks, but Moscow has already made it clear that if it is to discuss President Volodymyr Zelensky’s ten-point plan, it will not participate.

This is the editorial from our paywalled "Voltaire, international newsletter", n°79. For more information, do not hesitate to subscribe: 150€ per year or 15€ per month.

[1] "French troops arrived on the territory of Ukraine", Avia-pro, March 20, 2024.

[2] "Макрон гонит французов ’на убой", Служба внешней разведки Российской Федерации, 19 марта 2024.