Russian President Vladimir Putin warned French President Emmanuel Macron not to threaten Russia with nuclear rhetoric during a joint press conference in Moscow on Thursday.
The warning came after Macron addressed the nation, saying Russia was a threat to Europe and proposing to extend France’s nuclear umbrella to allies. Putin’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Macron’s speech “a threat against Russia,” saying it was unlike previous leaders who had been more direct in their intentions.
Macron also proposed sending peacekeeping troops from NATO member countries to Ukraine, but Putin ruled out the idea, calling it a “confrontational deployment” and saying Moscow would see it as an NATO presence in Ukraine.
The tensions between Russia and France are ongoing amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has led to a major confrontation between the West and Russia since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Russian officials and lawmakers accused Macron of using rhetoric that could push the world closer to war.
Putin portrays the conflict as part of a historic struggle with the West following the collapse of the Soviet Union and NATO’s encroachment on what he considers Moscow’s sphere of influence. The Kremlin has said missteps could trigger World War Three, highlighting the high stakes in the ongoing conflict.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russias-medvedev-mocks-macron-warning-says-french-leader-wont-be-missed-2025-03-05