Russia-Ukraine standoff: France says no indication Putin made decision on invading Ukraine

France on Monday said that even though there is evidence for a possible Russian invasion into Ukraine, there is still no indication that Moscow has made a decision of that sort. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian said in a televised appearance on France 5, “Is there all the evidence for a major offensive of the Russian troops in Ukraine? Yes, there is, it is possible. This can happen swiftly” but underscored that nonetheless “today nothing points out" that Russia has made the decision to invade Ukraine.

It is pertinent to note that le Drian did not elaborate on what evidence he was talking about. In the past few months, Western countries and Kyiv have accused Russia of deploying additional troops along the border of Ukraine in alleged preparation for invasion. But, Moscow has repeatedly denied these allegations by saying that it has no intention of invading Ukraine and has highlighted its own national security. 

Additionally, the French Foreign Minister said that Paris has no “intention to respond military” to any Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, Le Drian added that France is supporting Ukraine financially. He warned that a war between Russia and Ukraine would be “disastrous for everyone, singularly disastrous for Russia first of all.”  In the same televised interview, the French Foreign Minister said, “If there’s a war in Ukraine, if Russia invades, Ukrainian gas, for example, won’t flow” and added that “the economic consequences will be extremely difficult to shoulder."

With “dissuasive measures sufficiently strong”, Le Drian said that France is hoping Russian President Vladimir Putin to “really reflect on the risks he is taking” if Moscow launches military action against Kyiv. Furthermore, Le Drian said if Russia takes any significant action against Ukrainian sovereignty, it would invoke “massive consequences” and sanctions from France and other Ukrainian allies against Moscow. 

Putin & France's Macron talk about 'overcoming stalemate'

Le Drian’s remarks came just days after Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Sunday spoke on phone about “overcoming stalemate in settling the intra-Ukrainian conflict”, said Kremlin in a statement. The telephonic talks between both the leaders came after Macron visited Moscow and met Putin in person amid ongoing Russia-Ukraine tensions. The French President had also visited Kyiv to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. 

(Image: AP)