The West should seriously consider placing “conventional deterrence”assets, which could include long-range missile sytems, on Ukrainian soil once the hot phase of the conflict is over, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu has said.
In an interview with the broadcaster TF1/LCI on Monday, Lecornu weighed in on Vladimir Zelensky’s much-touted “victory plan,” which the Ukrainian leader presented to the national parliament last week.
The plan calls for, among other things, an invitation to immediately join NATO, and the lifting of Western restrictions on the use of foreign-made long-range weapons for strikes against Russia. Zelensky also proposed that the West “deploy a comprehensive non-nuclear strategic deterrence package” on Ukrainian soil to keep Russia at bay.