Moscow has cautioned France against using nuclear threats, deriding President Macron’s height with the nickname “Micron,” and rejected European proposals for NATO peacekeeping forces in Ukraine.

Macron stated on Wednesday that Russia poses a threat to Europe, suggesting Paris might extend its nuclear defense to allies and convene a meeting of European army chiefs to discuss sending peacekeepers to Ukraine following a peace agreement.

The Kremlin characterized Macron’s address as highly confrontational, accusing him of prolonging the conflict in Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described the speech as “a threat against Russia.”

Lavrov compared Macron unfavorably to historical figures like Napoleon and Hitler, stating that at least they openly declared their intentions to conquer Russia.

The conflict in Ukraine has escalated tensions between Russia and the West to levels unseen since the Cuban Missile Crisis, with both the Kremlin and White House acknowledging the potential for miscalculations to lead to World War Three.

Russia and the United States possess the largest nuclear arsenals, each with over 5,000 warheads. China holds approximately 500, France 290, and Britain 225, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

Russian officials and lawmakers criticized Macron’s rhetoric for potentially escalating global tensions. Russian satirical depictions portrayed him as Napoleon Bonaparte facing defeat in Russia in 1812.

Former President Dmitry Medvedev downplayed Macron’s significance, predicting his political demise by the end of his term in 2027.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova implied Macron needed assistance in assessing his military strength, while her ministry condemned his speech for containing “notes of nuclear blackmail” and constituting a threat to Russia.

The Foreign Ministry asserted that France’s ambition to provide a “nuclear umbrella” for Europe to replace the American one will not enhance the security of France or its allies.

Russian advances in Ukraine and concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies have fueled fears among European leaders that Washington is withdrawing its support for Europe.

Russian officials argue that strong statements from Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and other European leaders lack substantial military backing, highlighting Russia’s battlefield gains in Ukraine.

Lavrov and the Kremlin dismissed Macron’s peacekeeping proposal for Ukraine, stating Russia’s opposition.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred to the proposal as a “confrontational deployment of an ephemeral contingent.”

Lavrov stated that Moscow would perceive such a deployment as a NATO presence in Ukraine.

Putin has refuted Western claims that Russia might attack a NATO member.

Putin frames the war as part of a historical conflict with the West following the Soviet Union’s collapse and NATO’s expansion into Moscow’s perceived sphere of influence.

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken recently described the conflict as a proxy war between Russia and the U.S., a view the Kremlin acknowledged as accurate.

Peskov stated that the conflict is essentially between Russia and the collective West, with the United States as its leader, and that it is time to end the war.