Kremlin Warns Macron is Leading France Into Conflict in Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron is being criticized by Moscow for involving his country in the conflict in Ukraine, to the detriment of the French people.

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, on March 7, “Mr. Macron insists on his goal of inflicting a strategic defeat on our country [Russia],”

“He continues to escalate France’s direct involvement in this war,” further stated Mr. Peskov during televised remarks, adding, “This is not in the interest of the French people.”

France has stood as one of Kyiv’s strongest supporters since Russia invaded eastern Ukraine over two years ago.

Under Mr. Macron’s leadership, Paris has provided Ukraine with significant financial aid and a variety of offensive weaponry, including tanks, artillery shells, and long-range SCALP missiles.

Recently, Mr. Macron’s suggestion that European Union states could send troops to Ukraine to aid in the fight against Russian forces raised concerns.

After a meeting of European leaders in Paris on Feb. 26, he stated, “Sending troops on the ground has not been agreed on at this time,”

Nevertheless, he emphasized, “We will explore all options to prevent Russia from succeeding,”

The meeting in Paris aimed to reaffirm the EU’s continued support for Ukraine, which has faced major losses in recent battles.

Mr. Macron’s comments diverged from the general consensus among Kyiv’s allies, who aimed to steer clear of direct conflict with Russia to avoid a potential global war.

Leading supporters of Kyiv, such as the United States, the UK, Germany, and Poland, distanced themselves quickly from the French president’s statements.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated, “Sending troops [to Ukraine] is not an option for Germany,” at the time.

The Kremlin warned that such action could make a confrontation between Russia and NATO “inevitable.”

However, officials in Kyiv praised Mr. Macron’s controversial remarks.

Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak believe that the French leader’s comments displayed an understanding of the threats posed by a militaristic, aggressive Russia to Europe.

Mixed Signals

This week, Mr. Macron appeared to partially backtrack on his statements regarding the potential deployment of European troops to Ukraine.

He clarified, “When asked about sending troops, I only said that no options should be ruled out,” in an interview with Novinky, a Czech news outlet, on March 4.

He clarified further, “This does not indicate that France is considering sending troops to Ukraine in the immediate future,”

Mr. Macron added, “We are initiating conversations about everything that can be done to support Ukraine, particularly on Ukrainian soil.”

However, he changed his stance the following day, calling for a “strategic leap” in the West’s approach to the ongoing conflict.

During a speech in Prague on March 5, Mr. Macron urged Western countries to increase their support for Ukraine and not back down.

Referencing Russia’s invasion, he emphasized that both Paris and Prague were aware that “war has returned to [European] soil.”

He warned of “unstoppable” powers, likely alluding to Russia’s advancing forces, that were “extending their threat to attack us.”

Mr. Macron urged Kyiv’s allies to “uphold history and exhibit the necessary courage.”

‘No Limits’

Sergey Naryshkin, head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, deemed the French president’s comments “extremely risky.”

He stated, “They reflect the high level of political irresponsibility among current European leaders,” in televised remarks.

On March 7, Mr. Macron escalated the situation yet again, allegedly informing a group of French opposition leaders that Paris should have “no limits” in its dealings with Moscow.

According to Green Party leader Marine Tondelier, who participated in the meeting and spoke to the French daily Le Monde, Mr. Macron asserted that France “must show [Russia] that we have no limits.”

Ms. Tondelier described the reported comments as “highly concerning.”

Manuel Bompard, leader of the left-leaning La France Insoumise party, also expressed his worry, stating, “I arrived [to the meeting] concerned, and I left even more concerned,”

Deputy head of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, promptly reacted to Mr. Macron’s reported statements.

“Macron said ‘there are no more red lines, there are no more limits’ concerning support for Ukraine,” Mr. Medvedev noted in a social media post on March 7.

He added, “This means that Russia no longer has any red lines for France.”

Reuters contributed to this report.