Russia issues warning to French troops deemed legitimate targets

• Russia warns France of potential military targets if President Emmanuel Macron sends troops to Ukraine.
• Zakharova notes a rise in the number of French nationals killed in Ukraine.
• Russia plans to practice the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons as part of a military exercise.

On Wednesday, Russia issued a warning to France, stating that if President Emmanuel Macron were to send troops to Ukraine, the Russian military would consider them legitimate targets.

In February, Macron sparked controversy by stating that he could not rule out the deployment of ground troops in Ukraine in the future. The French leader cautioned that if Russia were to prevail in Ukraine, then Europe’s credibility 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,” Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.

“We have to disappoint him — for us the situation looks more than certain,” Zakharova said.

“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.”

Zakharova stated that Russia was already witnessing a rise in the number of French nationals among those killed in Ukraine.

On Monday, Russia announced its intention to practice the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons as part of a military exercise, citing threats from France, Britain, and the United States.

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