French President Emmanuel Macron Claims Russia Would Target France During Paris Olympics: “I Have No Doubt Whatsoever”

Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, French President Emmanuel Macron asserted on Thursday, April 4 that Russia could potentially pose a threat to the upcoming Paris Olympics. Macron’s statement follows his recent expression of hope for a ceasefire during the international sporting event. “I have no doubt whatsoever, including in terms of information,” Macron stated in response to a journalist’s inquiry on the subject.

These remarks came shortly after Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu cautioned his French counterpart Sebastian Lecornu against deploying troops to Ukraine during a rare telephone conversation. As per a statement from the Russian Defence Ministry, Shoigu conveyed to his French counterpart that the deployment of Western forces to Ukrainian territory could lead to “challenges for France itself.”

Shoigu also conveyed Moscow’s willingness to engage in dialogue concerning Ukraine. However, he underscored the futility of a scheduled round of peace talks in Geneva without Russia’s participation, as reported by TASS. On Thursday, Macron attended an event where he inaugurated a new Olympic aquatic center in Paris.

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Earlier in the week, Macron stated in an interview with Ukrainian television his intention to urge both Russia and Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire during the games, allowing Russian athletes to participate neutrally since Russia is barred from sending a team. “We will make the request,” Macron affirmed, with a voiceover translating his response into Ukrainian as “Yes, we will ask for it.”

In response to Macron’s initiative, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova urged Macron to halt the supply of weapons to Ukraine before making such demands, according to TASS. She further suggested that Macron should extend the same ceasefire proposal to the conflict in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the Russian Olympic Committee confirmed that they will not boycott the games, despite Anne Hidalgo’s preference for Russian and Belarusian athletes to abstain from participating.