Russia threatens France: will strike its troops if they enter Ukraine

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has told journalists on 8 May that if French President Emmanuel Macron sends troops to Ukraine, the Russians will consider them legitimate targets.

As reported by Reuters, in February, Macron sparked controversy by stating that he could not rule out the future deployment of foreign ground troops in Ukraine. The French leader warned that if Russia prevailed in Ukraine, trust in Europe would be reduced to zero.

"It is characteristic that Macron himself explains this rhetoric with the desire to create some kind of 'strategic uncertainty' for Russia," Zakharova told reporters.

"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," she added.

Zakharova said that Russia is already seeing an increase in the number of French citizens among the casualties in Ukraine.

The previous day, Russia summoned the French ambassador in Moscow to condemn Paris's "provocative" policy.

The Russian Federation's strong reaction was triggered by statements made by French President Emmanuel Macron, who recently reopened discussions about the possibility of sending foreign troops to Ukraine.

France spoke out against Russia’s use of diplomatic channels to threaten other countries after the French ambassador was summoned by the Russian Foreign Ministry, saying that Moscow was using "intimidation" tactics.