The Russian Foreign Ministry has issued a stark warning that French troops will be considered legitimate targets should President Emmanuel Macron decide to deploy them in Ukraine.
This announcement was made by Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova and reported by Reuters.
The warning follows remarks made by Macron in February, where he did not dismiss the possibility of sending foreign ground forces to Ukraine in the future. Macron argued that a Russian victory in Ukraine would completely erode trust in European security.
Zakharova criticized Macron's justification for his comments, which he described as creating "strategic uncertainty" for Russia.
"We have to disappoint him - for us, the situation looks more than certain," Zakharova stated during a press briefing.
She further emphasized the gravity of the situation by suggesting that French involvement in Ukraine would automatically make them targets for Russian forces.
"If the French appear in the conflict zone, they will inevitably become a target for the Russian armed forces. It seems to me that Paris already has evidence of this," she remarked.
This escalation in rhetoric occurred shortly after Russia summoned the French ambassador to Moscow, denouncing what it called the "provocative" policy of Paris.
In response, France condemned the summons, accusing Moscow of employing "intimidation tactics" amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions.
