They are preparing to take up arms to defend Ukraine against the Russian invasion. In France, several people say they are determined Monday, February 28 to leave for Kiev, to fight the army of Vladimir Putin, as enjoined by the Ukrainian President, Volodymy Zelensky. This handful of French people are currently preparing their departure for Ukraine. franceinfo contacted several of them.
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“I’ve never set foot there”frankly recognizes Maxime, who does not know “absolutely not” Ukraine. This 29-year-old resident of the Somme only mentions a grandmother born in Ukraine. “For me, they are a brave people.” And too bad if he has no military training but a simple hunting experience. “I was taught to use weapons very early on”he says.
“The goal is not to be a hothead and shoot everywhere. Doing anything and taking down everything that moves is not the goal.”
Max, 29 years oldat franceinfo
Maxime planned to leave Friday for Krakow, Poland, by bus or hitchhiking. He found other contenders on social media. He organizes himself with them to “not to be alone and lost”. “I don’t speak the language, so it’s complicated but I speak English. I think we can manage with that but we’ll see.” The paraphernalia is also improvised. “I arrive with simple military equipment: a plate carrier, a bulletproof vest and rangers. On the other hand, I do not have a weapon but we do not cross a border with weapons.”
These French determined to join Ukraine to fight. Agathe Mahuet’s report
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Essacq Baloutch, 73, also thinks of equipping himself once he crosses the border. “President Macron, whom I love very much, will give arms to the Ukrainians. Then the Ukrainian army will give us weapons”affirms this Franco-Afghan who fought the Red Army in Afghanistan in 1980. He now wants to help the Ukrainian resistance and claims to have brought together around twenty men from the Dijon region, where he lives, for this departure in a few days. “These are young people aged 30, 45 or 47. They are doctors, engineers, municipal police officers, podiatrists”he lists.
The trip will be in their personal cars. “We have between seventeen and twenty-four hours on the road.” Essacq Baloutch calls for general mobilization. “I asks all the French people who want to come with me to hurry up, so that we go as soon as possible to fight alongside our Ukrainian brothers.” If he assures to keep the government informed of his departure plan, the French authorities are content to recall that Ukraine is a war zone, classified red, and that any displacement is therefore there. “formally not recommended”.