Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned on Nov. 23 that France’s announcement that it had approved use of its SCALP missiles to strike deep into Russian territory—following in the footsteps of the American ATACMS and British Storm Shadows—amounts to an overt declaration of war.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, in an interview with the BBC, stated that Paris does “not set and express red lines” on its support for Kiev, and that long-range strikes on Russian soil may be carried out by Ukraine “in the logic of self-defense,” according to a report in RT. When asked by BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg whether his “no red lines” comment meant Paris could send French troops to fight alongside Ukrainians, Barrot said he “does not discard any option.”
Zakharova told TASS: “This is not support for Ukraine, but rather it is a way to finish it off.”
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev broadened the warning to all European countries backing Kiev. In a Telegram post Nov. 24, according to RT, Medvedev wrote: “Europe is wondering what damage the [Oreshkin missile] system could cause if the warheads are nuclear, whether it is possible to shoot down these missiles, and how quickly they would reach the capitals of the Old World. The answer: The damage would be unacceptable, it is impossible to intercept them with modern means, and we are talking about a matter of minutes,” Medvedev wrote.
“Bomb shelters will not help, so the only hope is that kind Russia will warn in advance about the launches. Therefore, it is better to stop supporting the war,” he added.
