"Recent statements by French President Emmanuel Macron are fueling tensions in Europe and show he is preparing France for a direct role in the conflict in Ukraine."
This was stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, quoted by AFP.
On June 6, the French leader promised to transfer Mirage-200 fighter jets to the country and help train Ukrainian pilots.
"Macron demonstrated absolute support for the Kyiv regime and declared readiness for France's direct participation in the military conflict," Peskov pointed out.
"We think these statements are very, very provocative, inflame tensions on the continent and do not contribute to anything positive," he said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Macron has refused to rule out the possibility of deploying troops to Ukraine, despite reluctance from other NATO members and fierce condemnation from Moscow.
France currently does not officially have military personnel assisting or training Ukrainian forces in Ukraine, but last week Kiev said it was "in talks" with Paris on the matter.
Russia has warned that it will consider any foreign instructors sent to Ukraine a "legitimate target" for strikes. | BGNES
