Macron broke taboo, seized leadership in helping Kiev: Daily Telegraph

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The Daily Telegraph reported on Friday that by agreeing to send AMX-10 RC wheeled tanks to Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron has crossed a red line and broke a military taboo, becoming the first Western leader to make such a decision.

The newspaper highlighted that Macron has beaten his American, British, and German counterparts in sending armored vehicles to Ukraine and has given Paris the lead in helping Kiev from London.

According to the report, Macron's New Year's television address, where he vowed to help Ukraine win the ongoing war, marked a "sea change" in the French President’s tone.

Elsewhere, The Daily Telegraph suggested that Macron no longer believes in peaceful negotiations with Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

On January 4, Macron agreed during a phone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to send French-made light tanks to Ukraine.

A French official pointed out on Wednesday that "this is the first time that Western-made armored vehicles are being delivered in support of the Ukrainian army."

However, no further details regarding the date of supply or the number of vehicles were disclosed.

In a tweet, Zelensky thanked Macron "for the decision to transfer light tanks and Bastion APCs to Ukraine."

On December 20, 2022, the French President confirmed that France had delivered rocket launchers and weapons to Ukraine, including new Caesar mobile artillery units, and would send more in early 2023.

It is noteworthy that since the start of the Ukraine war until December, France has supplied Ukraine with 18 Caesar units, a 155-mm howitzer mounted on a six-wheeled truck chassis, capable of firing shells at ranges of more than 40 kilometers (25 miles).

Paris has also delivered anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles as well as armored personnel carriers.

In mid-October, France and Ukraine signed an agreement over security and defense grants. The deal is meant to assist Ukraine's forces in boosting its military capabilities against Russia and set an initial aid amount of €100 million.

In the same context, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Macron has agreed to train up to 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers in the country.

A report issued by the New York Times said the latest round of military assistance to Ukraine from the US, France, and Germany indicates clearly that the West in no way wants to encourage peace talks between Russia and Ukraine and is rather pushing for more offensives to be unleashed against Moscow amid the latest delivery of armored vehicles to Kiev.

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