Russia on Thursday warned French President Emmanuel Macron against threatening it with nuclear rhetoric.
This came as it mocked his height by calling him “Micron” and ruled out European proposals to send peacekeeping forces from NATO members to Ukraine.
Recall that Macron, in an address to the nation on Wednesday, said that Russia was a threat to Europe, adding that Paris could discuss extending its nuclear umbrella to allies. He also stated that he would hold a meeting with army chiefs from European countries willing to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine after a peace deal.
According to the Kremlin, the speech was extremely confrontational, stating that Macron wanted the war in Ukraine to continue.
“This (speech) is, of course, a threat against Russia. Unlike their predecessors, who also wanted to fight against Russia—Napoleon, Hitler—Mr. Macron does not act very gracefully because at least they said it bluntly: ‘We must conquer Russia, we must defeat Russia,'” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to the biggest confrontation between the West and Russia since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and both the Kremlin and the White House have warned that missteps could trigger World War Three.
Russian officials and lawmakers accused Macron of rhetoric that could push the world closer to the abyss.
“Micron himself poses no big threat, though. He’ll disappear forever no later than May 14, 2027. And he won’t be missed,” former President Dmitry Medvedev wrote on X, referring to the end of Macron’s term.