PARIS, February 25. /TASS/. No European state, as well as the US, wants a direct military clash with Russia, because the Russian Federation is a nuclear power, French Defense Minister Florence Parly said on a radio Friday.
"We did not declare war on Russia. I don’t think any European state or the US wants to fight with Russia," she said. "Our goal is to achieve a ceasefire."
The Minister noted that Russia is a nuclear power and that NATO also has such weapons.
"Do you want a nuclear war?" she asked the radio host in response to the repeatedly asked question as to whether France intends to send the military to defend Ukraine.
"Nuclear weapons are weapons of deterrence, which must not be used," Parly added.
The minister explained that France’s and NATO’s priority is to ensure the member states’ security, especially on the eastern flank, and "Ukraine is not a part of the alliance."
At the same time, she disclosed that France has been making defense supplies to Ukraine "for a while," without providing any details.
"We do not ship military equipment like humanitarian aid. There are very strict rules for such cargo, and we adhere to these rules. But we realize that the situation is very serious," Parly said, adding that France is scrupulously examining new requests from Ukrainian authorities, and it will provide a response "very fast.".