The uneasiness continues to mount. Russia summoned the French ambassador this Monday to denounce the policy “ provocative » from Paris regarding the conflict in Ukraine, after French President Emmanuel Macron again raised the possibility of sending Western troops there.
“ Due to increasingly belligerent statements from the French authorities and the receipt of information indicating France’s growing involvement in the conflict over Ukraine (…) French Ambassador Pierre Lévy has been summoned », Russian diplomacy had justified in a press release.
Emmanuel Macron does not rule out ground operations in Ukraine again
France ” will continue to support Ukraine over the long term “.
A summons far from pleasing Paris. “ France notes that diplomatic channels are once again being hijacked for the purposes of information manipulation and intimidation », denounced France on Tuesday in a press release from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “ The Russian side presented its principled assessment of the destructive and provocative line of Paris, which leads to an escalation of the conflict “, she added.
Moscow has “ once again engaged in an inversion of responsibilities, seeking to accuse Western countries of threatening Russia, while the latter has been waging a war of aggression in Ukraine for more than two years in defiance of international law and which it is continuing, notably through cyberattacks and hybrid actions, its aggressive maneuvers aimed at destabilizing European countries », Paris also responded.
Before adding that France “ will continue to support Ukraine over the long term as it defends its sovereignty and territorial integrity against Russian aggressione “.
EXCLUSIVE – Emmanuel Macron: “The French do not yet perceive all the changes”
Macron assumes his position
In an interview with the weekly The Economistpublished last Thursday, Emmanuel Macron has, in fact, assumed his position on the possible sending of troops to Ukraine.
“ If the Russians were to break through the front lines, if there was a Ukrainian request – which is not the case today – we should legitimately ask ourselves the question “, said the French president.
As a reminder, he had already created controversy at the end of February by asserting that sending Western armed forces to Ukrainian soil should not “ be excluded ” in the future. Two weeks later, he again asserted that ground operations in Ukraine by the West might be necessary. ” at one point “.
Most European countries, as well as the United States, clearly stood out, even if some have since taken a step in its direction.
Nuclear exercises carried out by Russia
In this context, Russia announced on Monday the upcoming holding of nuclear exercises near Ukraine, in reaction to “ threat » uttered, according to her, by Western leaders.
The latter have “ talked about the desire and even the intention to send armed contingents to Ukraine, that is, to place NATO soldiers against the Russian army “, declared the spokesperson for the Russian presidency, Dmitri Peskov. Questioned by AFP on the question, he affirmed that these were the words of “ Mr. Macron “, of ” British representatives ” and a ” representative of the US Senate, if I’m not mistaken “. Before adding that it was a “ new cycle of escalation of tension ”, denouncing the “ very dangerous rhetoric » from the French president.
The exercise will involve the air force, navy and forces of the Southern Military District, which is based very close to Ukraine and notably covers Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims to annex. The date and location of these exercises have not been specified.
(With AFP)
