Macron raises tension in Europe with military dispute and nuclear threat

The Kremlin criticized on Thursday (6) the statements of French President Emmanuel Macron about the military strengthening of Europe and the role of the nuclear deterrent of France. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov classified Macron’s speech as “extremely confronting” and said the French leader shows no interest in peace.

“On the contrary, from what has been said, it can be concluded that France is more concerned with war, with the continuity of war,” Peskov said.

The Russian government reacted after Macron claims that Russia represents a direct threat to the European continent and suggests that France could expand its “nuclear umbrella” to protect allies in the region.

“Russia is, as I speak to them and for the future years, a threat to France and Europe,” the French president said in a nation speaking on Wednesday (5). He also defended the sending of European troops to Ukraine to ensure the enforcement of a possible ceasefire.

“This may go through the sending of European forces. They would not fight today, even to the front line, but they would be there, on the contrary, once peace was signed, to guarantee its total respect, ”the Frenchman threatened.

Moscow rejected the proposal and warned that any movement of foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered an unacceptable military climb. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Macron is acting as his historical predecessors, but less directly.

“Unlike their predecessors, who also wanted to fight Russia-Napoleon, Hitler-Mr. Macron does not act much elegance, because at least they were straightforward: ‘We need to conquer Russia, we need to defeat it,'” said the Russian chancellor.

The Russian response also included personal attacks on the French president. Former President Dmitry Medvedev mocked Macron’s speech and said his leadership in France will not have a lasting impact.

“Micron alone does not represent a great threat. It will disappear forever until May 14, 2027. And it will not be missed, ”he said.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested that Macron should better measure her military power before announcing new guidelines. In an official statement, the Russian chancer stated that “Paris now now aims to become the ‘nuclear patron’ from all over Europe, almost as a replacement for the American nuclear umbrella. It is unnecessary to say that this will not make France or its safer allies. ”

The climb between Paris and Moscow occurs amid the fragmentation of the Western bloc and the change in US foreign policy after Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

The US government significantly reduced military support to Ukraine and began direct negotiations with Kremlin, excluding European allies from conflict negotiations.

The scenario became evident Quandotrump suggested that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to give up territories to Russia to end the war. The rapprochement between Washington and Moscow has expanded the isolation of the European Union, which now seeks to redefine its defense strategy.

Faced with this new conjuncture, Macron has been pressured for greater military independence in Europe. “The future of Europe should not be decided in Washington or Moscow,” he said. The French president also defended an increase in the military budget and the reindustrialization of the European war sector, arguing that “we have the most efficient army in Europe” and that France, because it has its own nuclear abilities, should lead regional defense.

European militarization and the reconfiguration of Western alliances expose contradictions within the imperialist bloc itself. While Washington moves away from the conflict, Paris tries to assert himself as a military leadership, but faces internal resistance within the European Union and a strong opposition of Moscow.

Kremlin’s response to the French proposal reinforces the new scenario of dispute for influence on the continent, with European security increasingly subordinate to an impasse between Paris, Washington and Moscow.