Russia warned France today that if President Emmanuel Macron sends troops to Ukraine, then they will be seen as legitimate targets by the Russian military.

Macron sparked controversy in February by saying he could not rule out the deployment of ground troops in Ukraine in the future.

The French leader warned that if Russia wins in Ukraine, then Europe’s credibility will be destroyed.

“It is characteristic that Macron himself explains this rhetoric with the desire to create some kind of ‘strategic uncertainty’ for Russia,” said the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry. Maria Zakharova to journalists.

“We will disappoint him, for us the situation seems more certain,” said Zakharova.

“If the French appear in the battle zone, they will inevitably become targets for the Russian armed forces. It seems to me that Paris already has proof of that.”

Zakharova said Russia is already seeing a growing number of French nationals among those killed in the Ukraine war.