France escalates military readiness amidst growing European tensions
Colonel Axel Denis, who leads the combat training centre (CENTAC) in Mailly-le-camp in eastern France, stated in an interview with Politico, "The world has revealed its true nature: unstable, dangerous, and not everyone is a friend." We are preparing to be vigilant and ready at short notice. CENTAC is the only place [in France] where you can see what war looks like, he added.
11 March 2024 12:46
The training conditions for soldiers in CENTAC are carefully replicated to be as close to the actual battlefield as possible, hence the popular military name of the center "fields of death". Simulated sounds, heat, and light generated by artillery fire are scattered across the training area, even fake mines are placed. Radio communication can also be interrupted without prior warning.
The area of the camp, at approximately 119 square miles, is a unique place in France. Due to its area larger than Paris, it is the only place where various units of the French army - infantry, armor, artillery, and engineers - normally spread throughout the country, can conduct exercises together. Moreover, it is the only location where two dozen Leclerc tanks are actively involved all year round.
"we must accept a new reality"
On Friday, after a meeting with the foreign ministers of the Baltic states and Ukraine in Vilnius, the head of French diplomacy, Stephane Sejourne, decidedly stated that we cannot risk Putin winning in Ukraine. – If that happened, he announced we would pay too high a price.
– We know very well that Russia will not stop at Ukraine (...), and the concerns of our partners - Baltic states, Poland, Moldova - about the expansion of Russian aggression are justified. (...) It's really Europe's existential crisis, Sejourne stated during a joint press conference with the meeting participants.
According to the French minister, "Europe should strengthen its defence capabilities and industry " to ensure security.
– We must accept the new reality that the era of peace in Europe has ended – stated Dmytro Kuleba, the foreign minister of Ukraine. He noted that his country needs unlimited supplies of weapons and ammunition from the West to ensure its resilience to Russian aggression.
– "Dripping" military aid for Ukraine no longer works. What's happening now will not end well for everyone. We need full and unlimited supplies of ammunition to Ukraine to ensure its resilience to Russia – emphasized Kuleba.
Source: Politico, PAP
