Overview

• On August 29, foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Macron’s remarks crossed the line of decency and amounted to vulgar insults against Russia and its people.
• Zakharova accused France of pursuing an “idéologie de charognards” and of seeking political advantage from the war in Ukraine.
• Macron described Vladimir Putin as “an ogre at our gates” and “a predator” who “does not want peace” in an LCI interview on August 19.
• The French president also urged European leaders not to trust Putin, saying he “needs to keep eating” for his own survival.
• The clash underscores already frayed ties, with France a prominent backer of Ukraine and Moscow criticizing Paris over military aid, media restrictions, and alleged destabilization.