Foreign troops could train soldiers, repair equipment in Ukraine - Zelensky

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine would be interested in the presence of foreign instructors and technical personnel from partner states on the territory of his country.

He said this in an interview with the French media outlets, Le Monde and BFMTV, Ukrinform reports.

"We discussed it multiple times with partners. It is no secret that Ukraine sends its troops abroad for training missions. It’s artillery, armored vehicles, and now the F-16s. But when we send troops there, and our guys return, thanks to training missions run by other countries, they had to adapt in Ukraine and undergo several months of training here, too. And this process is twice as long. That's why the very proposal: let's shorten the time, let's run this training mission immediately in Ukraine, adapting immediately to the state of war, so I don't see anything wrong about it," said the president.

At the same time, he noted that it is not at all about the army of France or any other country being present Ukraine, this is about instructors and inspectors. And it can go in different directions: cyber security, various training processes.

Zelensky added that foreign military personnel can also be deployed in Ukraine to repair military equipment provided by Western partners, in order to save time and not send it abroad for repair.

"So why don't the countries consider sending in their technical personnel and letting Ukraine obtain licenses for co-production, which would be beneficial to both countries, on the example of Caesar howitzers – this would benefit both Ukraine and France. Caesar’s great performance leads to higher prices so it’s France that would make more money," said the president.

Therefore, Zelensky sees nothing wrong about the proposal put forward by French President Emmanuel Macron to send certain military personnel for co-production and training. Macron's words that nothing can be ruled out, in Zelensky's opinion, are a concern to Vladimir Putin, not Ukraine. As long as Ukraine stands, French troops will remain on French territory. And if Russia attacks a NATO Ally, it is NATO that will decide how to deploy its armies, and in what numbers, the head of the Ukrainian state explained.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an exclusive interview to BFMTV that French military personnel would not be sent to die on Ukrainian soil but, if Russia attacks one of the NATO member states, the French army may need to fight to defend it.