MOSCOW, March 20. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has already said how Moscow would react to French troops coming to Ukraine, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"If you remember election night, the president already answered your question. Just read what the president said again and you will find your answer," the spokesman said, responding to a question on whether the appearance of French troops in the special operation area would mean a de facto start to war between Moscow and Paris.
Previously, Putin noted that NATO troops were already present in Ukraine and were suffering large casualties there. He noted French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks about the "secondary functions" of such a contingent and pointed out that this would hardly differ from the current presence of Western mercenaries in Ukraine.
On March 19, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) head Sergey Naryshkin announced that France was preparing to send a military contingent to Ukraine; initially, the plan is to send about 2,000 troops. He noted that French troops are already present in Ukraine unofficially, and have already suffered casualties.