(MENAFN) France has indicated it could send troops as early as next year to support security guarantees proposed by Ukraine’s Western allies if a ceasefire is reached in the ongoing conflict with Russia, according to Army Chief of Staff Pierre Schill.

Addressing the National Assembly’s Defense Committee on Thursday, Schill noted that next year “will be marked by coalitions,” referring to the large-scale French-led Orion 26 exercise designed to test coordination among NATO forces.

“We will stand ready to deploy forces within the framework of security guarantees, if necessary, for the benefit of Ukraine,” Schill told lawmakers. He also said the French Army can respond to three simultaneous “alerts,” including a potential deployment to Ukraine. France currently maintains a “national emergency level” of 7,000 troops who can be mobilized within 12 hours to five days for domestic or NATO missions.

The announcement followed remarks by Chief of the Armed Forces Fabien Mandon, who stressed that France must be prepared for a possible confrontation with Russia in the coming years. He claimed Russia “may be tempted” to expand the conflict to Europe, a notion Moscow has dismissed.

According to reports, EU military leaders have been drafting plans for “security guarantees” for Kiev, which could include deploying roughly 10,000 troops—one contingent to train and assist Ukrainian forces, and another to act as a “reassurance force” following a peace agreement.

Moscow has strongly opposed NATO troop deployments to Ukraine, asserting that Kiev’s desire to join the bloc is a key factor behind the conflict. Earlier this month, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman stated that Western Europe is “doing everything” to escalate the situation and accused “non-professionals” in EU governments of failing to understand the consequences of their actions.

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