“Irresponsible provocation”. Russia alleges that France is preparing to send soldiers to Ukraine

On Tuesday, Russian state agency TASS reported that the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Sergei Naryshkin, claimed that France is preparing “a contingent to be sent to Ukraine”, which will include 2,000 soldiers.

Faced with this scenario, Naryshkin warned that French troops would be a “legitimate priority target” for Russian forces.

“This means that he will suffer the fate of every Frenchman who has ever reached the Russian world with a sword,” declared the head of the SVR.

Paris responded this Wednesday, accusing the Russian official of “irresponsible provocation”.

“The maneuver orchestrated by Sergei Naryshkin, director of Russian Foreign Intelligence, illustrates once again the systematic use of disinformation by Russia,” the French Defense Ministry said in a statement, cited by Reuters.

“We consider this type of provocation irresponsible,” he added.

Franco-Russian relations have deteriorated in recent weeks as Paris has increased its support for Ukraine, notably by signing a long-term bilateral security agreement and promising to send more long-range cruise missiles.

Tension increased even further after French President Emmanuel Macron did not exclude the possibility of sending European troops to Ukraine – an idea that generated controversy and was promptly rejected by the remaining allies.

After Macron’s statements last month, the Kremlin warned that the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine would make a direct conflict inevitable.