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Lavrov warns over French instructors in Ukraine
Summary
A look back at Moscow's threat on 4 June 2024 against any French military trainers sent to Ukraine, and a Danish decision days earlier.
What did Moscow say about Western troops in Ukraine on 4 June 2024? Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that French military instructors would be "legitimate targets" if they were deployed to Ukraine.
The warning came in the context of Western military aid to Ukraine and of Russia–NATO relations, which were under strain during the Russo-Ukrainian War.
A Danish decision days earlier
On 30 May 2024, during the Kharkiv offensive, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said Denmark had approved Ukrainian airstrikes on Russian territory using Danish-supplied F-16 jets.
The two statements, made days apart, showed how the debate over Western support for Ukraine had moved from deliveries of equipment to questions about how that equipment could be used and who might be present on the ground.
