Lavrov's warning on French instructors in Ukraine
A look back at 4 June 2024, when Russia's foreign minister threatened foreign military trainers, days after Denmark's F-16 decision.
What did Moscow say about the prospect of French military instructors in Ukraine? On 4 June 2024, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any French instructors deployed to Ukraine would be "legitimate targets".
The warning came in the context of debate over military aid to Ukraine and relations between Russia and NATO countries. It concerned the possible deployment of French personnel as trainers, rather than any step already taken.
A few days earlier, on 30 May 2024, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said Denmark had approved Ukrainian airstrikes on Russian territory using Danish-supplied F-16 jets. The statement was made during the 2024 Kharkiv offensive, and it added to the discussion of how Western-supplied weapons could be used.
Taken together, the two reports from 30 May and 4 June 2024 show the debate over Western military support for Ukraine in those days, and Russia's response to the idea of a more direct foreign role.
