– Then you become a Russian target – Dagsavisen

– If the French show up in the conflict zone, they will become a target for Russian forces. Paris already knows this, says Maria Zakharova, according to the Reuters news agency.

She is a spokesperson for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is constantly lashing out at Western countries and leaders in the media.

In a recent interview with The Economist magazine, French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated that he will not rule out sending Western troops to Ukraine as a response to the conflict there. In the past, Macron has also opened up for this, although NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has rejected such a possibility.

– It is typical Macron

On Monday this week, the French ambassador in Moscow was called on the carpet, in the wake of Macron’s latest statements. The reason was “increasingly bellicose statements from the French government”, said the statement from Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

– Russia presented its assessment that Paris’ destructive and provocative line leads to an escalation of the conflict, it also said, according to NTB.

The ministry also said that a French attempt to create “strategic ambiguity” around Russia will not succeed.

– It is typical of Macron to explain such rhetoric with an attempt to create strategic ambiguity. But we have to disappoint you, Macron. For us, the situation looks completely clear, says Zakharova.

Russia expert Mark Galeotti recently commented on Emmanuel Macron’s actions to Dagsavisen. He thought it probably had “more to do with French politics than anything else”.

Also read: General: – Now we have three choices. Only one of them can stop Putin

– A soldier is a soldier, even if he is not at the front

In a text in the well-respected journal Foreign Affairs, professors Phillips O’Brien, Jahara Matisek and Alex Crowther recently argued that Europe, not NATO, should consider sending forces into Ukraine. Russia and President Vladimir Putin “cannot afford” to fight several European countries at the same time. Thus, European forces in Ukraine will not lead to a further escalation from Russia, they wrote.

However, the trio’s claim stands in contrast to Zakharova’s recent outing.

– I think what O’Brien, Matisek and Crowther propose is neither likely nor particularly helpful. Because let’s be honest, a soldier is a soldier even if he’s not on the front lines, said Mark Galeotti.

If one imagines a situation where European forces, for example, protect an air defense installation in Ukraine, then these will still be considered a legitimate target by Russia. This could lead to escalation, explained the Briton.

– And if these forces are a target, they can also be killed. I am not convinced that Europe is ready for it. I think there are several countries in Europe that will not be ready to send their own soldiers home in coffins, said Galeotti.

Also read: Expert on Putin’s “jewel”: – It could become worthless

Also read: She gives Russia a clear message: – We do not accept it

Also read: Ukraine expert on Putin’s war: – It is absolutely necessary to rethink

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Facts about the war in Ukraine

• Russia and President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine with large forces on February 24, 2022.
• Russian forces and Russian-backed separatists previously controlled the Crimean peninsula and parts of the Ukrainian counties of Donetsk and Luhansk.
• Since the invasion, Russian forces have taken control of even more areas in eastern and southern Ukraine. The Russian-occupied areas now make up around 18 percent of the country.
• The fronts in the war have largely been deadlocked since autumn 2022.
• Ukraine’s and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s stated goal is to recapture all Russian-occupied territories, including the Crimean peninsula which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
• Western countries support Ukraine with large amounts of weapons and military equipment.
• Neither Ukraine nor Russia state how many soldiers they lose on the battlefield. It is estimated that up to 500,000 soldiers have been killed and wounded in the war, and the majority of these are said to be Russian.
• The UN has registered over 10,000 civilians killed in Ukraine, but the real number is probably much higher.
• 6.5 million Ukrainians have fled the country since the invasion, and another 3.7 million are internally displaced.

(Sources: UN, The New York Times, NTB)

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