France has become the first NATO country to send its troops to Ukraine to fight the Russian military forces. This decision is a NATO decision, i.e., a decision involving the invocation of NATO’s Article 5. Yet, this is a significant development, which brings the possibility of a pan-European war closer to becoming an ultimate reality. The question, however, is why France took such a dangerous step that not even the US has. Its answer lies not in France’s sympathy with Ukraine and/or the possibility of Russia winning against NATO and establishing its domination in Europe. The answer to this step lies in how Russia is destroying the remnants of the French empire in Africa. France is, therefore, especially poised to inflict some damage on Russia. It cannot fight the Russians directly in Africa, but Paris does want to utilise the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine to ‘settle’ the score in some ways. This logic is pretty evident from the type of soldiers France has sent to Ukraine. In short, these are not regular French troops, composed of French nationals/citizens.
The troops France has sent to Ukraine are from its Foreign Legion, i.e., an elite corps of the French Army consisting entirely of foreigners willing to serve in the French Army. Until recently, this Legion had a significant presence in parts of Africa, keeping the French post-colonial establishment intact.
In October 2023, however, France faced a setback in Niger. It was asked to pack its troops and leave. Before Niger, French forces were also forced out of Mali and Burkina Faso after........