Overview
- An announcement on the voluntary service is expected Thursday, with press reports pointing to 2,000–3,000 recruits at launch and a long‑term goal of about 50,000, details the government has not yet finalized.
- Macron’s clarification followed backlash to Gen. Fabien Mandon’s warnings about accepting casualties and a potential Russia–NATO confrontation by 2030, with the general retaining his post under the defense minister’s support.
- Macron said a new working group of France, the United Kingdom, Turkey, and the United States will draft operational plans for potential post‑ceasefire deployments in Ukraine, without committing those countries to send troops.
- Allied governments are also preparing steps to freeze Russian assets to help fund Ukraine’s reconstruction as part of broader pressure on the Kremlin.
- Polling cited in the coverage indicates strong support in France for some form of national service while a majority opposes sending French soldiers to fight in Ukraine.