Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Araghchi: We have always supported Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity at all times, we still do in these difficult circumstances.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi from Beirut: Lebanon's independence and territorial integrity are of great importance to Iran, we support it against occupation.
Israeli army admits 3 soldiers of rank of Staff Sergeant were killed, 2 others injured in northern Gaza.
Occupied Palestine: Palestinian media: Martyrs and injuries as a result of the Israeli occupation firing on displaced people while they were waiting for aid west of Rafah.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in occupied Palestine: 3 martyrs, including a child, as a result of Israeli occupation forces bombing displaced persons' tents in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
Israeli media: Yedioth Ahronoth: Concern in "Israel" over changes within the US administration in recent days.
Al-Qassam Brigades says its fighters are engaging in fierce clashes with the occupation forces, killing and wounding soldiers east of Jabalia camp.
Israeli media platforms are circulating preliminary reports about a multi-causalty ambush in Jabalia camp, Gaza.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: 35 martyrs, 75 injured in occupation targeting of civilians seeking food aid in Rafah, Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
Da Silva: What is happening in Gaza is not a war, it is a genocide

France's Ukraine adventure could snowball into nuclear war, VIPS warns

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 27 Mar 2024 16:28
  • 4 Shares
4 Min Read

Europe must recognize France's potentially destructive path, the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity said in a memorandum to the US President, amid concerns of a nuclear war.

  • x
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and French President Emmanuel Macron shake hands after a press conference, on Feb. 16, 2024 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. (AP)
    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and French President Emmanuel Macron shake hands after a press conference, on February 16, 2024 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. (AP)

Devoid of certain clarity, France could be "leading the American people down a path toward a nuclear conflict" with Russia, according to an alert memorandum from the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) to the US President, published by the Ron Paul Institute.

The memorandum, titled "On the Brink of Nuclear War" the VIPS warned the White House that French President Emmanuel Macron's dispatch of approximately 2,000 troops to Ukraine "in the not-so-distant future," could snowball to become a NATO war, and ultimately, a US war.

What French troop?

According to the memorandum, the French troops will largely hold symbolic significance and would be ineffective in a modern, large-scale conflict like the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Its deployment, according to the VIPS, would not be in active conflict zones but will rather function as "a screening force/tripwire to stop Russia’s advance" or " a replacement force deployed to a non-active zone to free up Ukrainian soldiers for combat duty."

Additionally, the memorandum duly noted that the French Brigade will be augmented by smaller units from the Baltic states.

The French and the Baltic troops, thus, would be considered NATO troops deployed in a Ukrainian warzone, making them "lawful targets" based on the Law of War, said the VIPS. However, the troops would technically lack a "NATO mandate", a difference that VIPS argued would be a "distinction without a difference" from a Russian perspective.

A massive protest erupted in #France's capital, #Paris, over sending troops to #Ukraine.

Earlier, the French National Assembly approved a 10-year bilateral security agreement that will cover arms, training, and 3 billion euros of military aid to Ukraine.

Moreover, Macron… pic.twitter.com/LipjH6gT2j

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 17, 2024

Related News

Trump contradicts Witkoff: No enrichment in Iran deal

Kataib Hezbollah warns US forces against postponing Iraq withdrawal

The memorandum, then, explained that France seems to be "naively" assuming that its NATO membership would deter Russia from targeting its troops. However, VIPS argued, it is highly probable that Russia would indeed target any French as well as Baltic troops deployed in Ukraine.

Under such circumstances, the French President Macron might strategize that, following Russian attacks on NATO member troops, despite the lack of mandate, he could invoke Article 5 of the NATO Charter, prompting a NATO alliance intervention, VIPS said.

Such intervention would "perhaps include interdiction missions against tactical targets inside Russia."

Snowballing effect

In the event NATO intervenes, Russia, "doctrinally, and by legal right", would respond by launching retaliatory strikes against targets in NATO countries prompting the latter to launch strikes against Russia. 

"If NATO then attacks strategic targets inside Russia, at that point Russia’s nuclear doctrine takes over, and NATO decision-making centers would be hit with nuclear weapons," the VIPS memorandum to the US President underscored.

This is where the threat to the US becomes imminent, as the former intelligence agents at VIPS stated "We anticipate Russia refraining from initiating a nuclear attack on the US, but rather leaving the decision up to the US to risk destruction by considering a nuclear strike on Russia," adding that "However, Russian strategic capabilities, particularly in areas like hypersonic missiles, have advanced to the point where they exceed those of the US and NATO in some respects."

In other words, the VIPS underscored that the Russian temptation to strike first may be a bit stronger this time around, and the memorandum reveals that the former intelligence officers appear somewhat less confident that Russia would want to “go second”. 

Clarification as a solution

Europe must realize that France's actions are "leading it down a path of inevitable self-destruction." Similarly, the US must understand that "need to understand that Europe is leading them to the cusp of nuclear annihilation."

Given the potential suspicion of Russian leaders towards Macron's alignment with Washington, the US must clearly state its position, the VIPS said, stressing that it must be clarified that sending troops to Ukraine by both France and the Baltic nations involved, lacks NATO authorization, and subsequently, Article 5 would not be invoked in response to Russian retaliation.

It must also be affirmed that the US has no intention of launching its nuclear arsenal in retaliation against any Russian military actions targeting French or Baltic troops in the context of the war in Ukraine.

Read more: France preparing to send 2,000 troops to Ukraine: SVR

  • United States
  • Europe
  • Russia
  • France
  • Nato Alliance
  • Ukraine
  • Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity
Russia & NATO

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?

Most Read

Lebanon's PM Nawaf Salam meets with US envoy Morgan Ortagus in Beirut on April 5, 2025 (Dalati Nohra via AP)AP)

Morgan Ortagus to exit US role in Lebanon amid policy shift

  • Politics
  • 1 Jun 2025
An Israeli army vehicle moves in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, May 29, 2025 (AP)

Hamas rejects Witkoff ceasefire plan, says alters terms

  • Politics
  • 29 May 2025
Spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announces a new operation against Ben Gurion Airport on May 29, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen announces successful hypersonic missile strike on Ben Gurion

  • Politics
  • 30 May 2025
It may well be due to the longstanding relationship between MI6 and HTS, via Inter Mediate, that Britain was the first Western country to recognise their assumption of government in Syria. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab El-Hajj)

How MI6 helped HTS seize Syria

  • Opinion
  • 31 May 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Army commanders tour the operations sectors of the Iraqi army Seventh Brigade, in Anbar, Iraq, Sunday, December 29, 2019 (AP)
Politics

Kataib Hezbollah warns US forces against postponing Iraq withdrawal

(@rafaelmgrossi)
Politics

Egypt urges 'Israel' to join NPT, citing regional nuclear imbalance

AP
Politics

US deal proposal allows Iran to enrich Uranium to Low-Level: Reports

screengrab
Politics

Former Biden spox. Matthew Miller says 'Israel' committed war crimes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS