Overview
- At the Valdai Discussion Club meeting in Sochi on Oct. 2, Putin described his relationship with Emmanuel Macron as good and working.
- He compared the French president to Napoleon, citing a call to rally supporters and promise victory.
- Putin accused Macron of shifting internal tensions to an external arena and seeking to provoke other countries, including Russia.
- The statements were reported by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti with direct quotes from the session.
- The coverage includes no reported response from Macron or French authorities as of Oct. 3.