French General Praises Ukrainian Training Grounds

“The training grounds in Ukraine have the kind of infrastructure we don’t have in France. If I were to choose between training grounds in Ukraine and other countries, I’d chose Ukraine,” Interfax Ukraine quotes Jean-Pierre Kelch, French chief of general staff (photo). He made this statement after talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Shuliak. General Kelch believes that the military exercises underway on the Shyroky Lan training ground (Mykolayiv oblast) since May 7 and ending on May 25, are “a good opportunity to stress that we are in a different epoch of our relations.” He and General Shuliak visited the ground May 17. General Kelch described French-Ukrainian military cooperation as “serious and effective.” The military exercises involve 1,200 officers and men, 120 armored vehicles of the 2nd Tank Brigade of the French Army. General Kelch’s visit includes a meeting with NSDC Secretary Yevhen Marchuk and Foreign Minister Anatoly Zlenko.