Kremlin slams Macron over Russia threat remarks, Medvedev mocks him as ‘Micron’
Macron called Russia “a threat to France and Europe,” called the Ukraine war a “global conflict,” and said he would discuss extending France’s nuclear umbrella.
The Kremlin on Thursday slammed French President Emmanuel Macron’s speech as highly confrontational after he labelled Russia a threat to France and Europe
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Macron’s remarks signalled that Paris was inclined to continue the war in Ukraine.
“The speech was indeed extremely confrontational. It could hardly be perceived as a speech by a leader who was thinking about peace,” he said, adding that Macron had omitted important facts and failed to mention Russia’s legitimate concerns and fears.
Under Macron’s leadership, France has supplied weapons to Ukraine and expressed willingness to consider deploying troops to support the enforcement of a future peace deal.
Russia has warned that the presence of NATO troops would be unacceptable.
In a national address on Wednesday, Macron called Russia “a threat to France and Europe,” described the Ukraine war as a “global conflict,” and said he would initiate discussions on extending France’s nuclear umbrella to European allies.
Russia and the United States remain the world’s largest nuclear powers, each possessing over 5,000 warheads, followed by China with around 500, France with 290, and the United Kingdom with 225, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, once seen as a moderniser but now known for his hardline stance, dismissed Macron—mockingly calling him “Micron”—saying he posed no threat at all.
Russian officials argue that despite the strong rhetoric from Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and other European leaders in recent days, it lacks real military backing. They point to Russia’s gains on the battlefield in Ukraine as evidence.
Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Putin of pursuing an imperial-style land grab, vowing to defeat Russia, which currently controls nearly 20 percent of Ukraine, including Crimea and parts of the east and south.
Putin, however, portrays the war as a historic struggle against the West, accusing it of humiliating Russia after the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991 by expanding NATO and encroaching on what he sees as Moscow’s sphere of influence, including Ukraine.