It’s been no secret that in Ukraine there will be escalation before any potential ceasefire deal is worked out. The Biden administration is scrambling to try and build Kiev’s leverage on the battlefield prior to the Trump administration taking office. This includes the huge provocation of greenlighting long-range missile strikes on Russian territory. France followed this weekend by approving Ukraine’s use of French long-range missiles against Russia, specifically the Scalp missiles. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot declared that this move is in the “logic of self-defense”. The top French diplomat continued, “We will support Ukraine as intensely and as long as necessary. Why? Because it is our security that is at stake. Each time the Russian army progresses by one square kilometer, the threat gets one square kilometer closer to Europe.” BBC interviewer Laura Kuenssberg questioned Barrot on if that could even mean sending French troops into the war. He responded: “We do not discard any option.” Prominent French publication Le Monde on Monday followed by saying serious discussions over injecting Western troops into the war have intensified in the last days: As the conflict in Ukraine enters a new phase of escalation, discussions over sending Western troops and private […]