Russia has warned that its forces would view any French forces sent to Ukraine as legitimate targets. Meanwhile, Ukraine has suffered a wave of new attacks on its energy infrastructure.
Russia has warned that any French troops sent to Ukraine would be treated as legitimate targets by Moscow’s military.
French President Emmanuel Macron sparked controversy in February by saying he was not prepared to rule out deploying ground troops in Ukraine. Macron made the statement as he warned that Europe’s credibility would be reduced to zero if Russia were to win in Ukraine.
Russia’s latest statement came after the French president repeated the idea earlier this month in an interview with The Economist magazine.
“It is characteristic that Macron himself explains this rhetoric with the desire to create some kind of ‘strategic uncertainty’ for Russia,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a press briefing.
“We have to disappoint him — for us the situation looks more than certain,” Zakharova said.
Zakharova said growing numbers of French nationals were already appearing among those killed in Ukraine.
“If the French appear in the conflict zone, they will inevitably become targets for the Russian armed forces. It seems to me that Paris already has proof of this.”
On Monday, Russia said it would practice the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons amid threats from France, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Source: Dw
