Mon 07 March 2022:
French Defense Minister Florence Parly has warned that Russia’s war on Ukraine could spill over into Europe.
“War is at Europe’s doorstep, let’s not let it in,” Parly said on Twitter on Sunday while visiting a military base in Romania’s Black Sea city of Constanta, where 500 French soldiers are deployed as part of a NATO force.
In these uncertain times, France is determined to ensure the Europe’s security, she added.
Parly emphasized that NATO poses no threat to Russia, as the Western alliance’s commitment to its members is “defensive, not offensive.”
France has persistently engaged with Russia since Moscow launched the war on Ukraine, led by President Emmanuel Macron, who has spoken to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin four times since Feb. 24.
In their latest conversation on Sunday, Macron “underlined the absolute necessity of avoiding any attack on the integrity of Ukrainian civil nuclear installations,” according to a French government statement.
He also reiterated the need for negotiations and an agreement that is fully acceptable to Ukraine.
Putin, however, insisted that attempts to blame the Russian military for the recent incident at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant were “part of a cynical propaganda campaign.”
According to a Kremlin statement, Putin “explained in detail about provocations carried out by Ukrainian radical nationalists using sabotage groups in the area” of the nuclear plant.
“He expressed readiness to continue the dialogue with the understanding that Russia’s unconditional and now widely-distributed demands be fulfilled. It is vital that the Ukrainian side remain serious about agreements crucial to achieving cessation of hostilities,” read the statement.
At least 364 civilians have been killed and 759 others injured in Ukraine since Russia launched the war, according to UN figures, with the real toll feared to be higher.
More than 1.7 million people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, according to the UN refugee agency.
-AA
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