French Defense Minister: Paris unwilling to return to Cold War with Russia

By Al Mayadeen
Source: Agencies
19 Dec 2021 15:27

French Defense Ministry threatens to toughen measures against Russia, whilst stressing that Paris does not want to return to the Cold War.

French Defense Minister Florence Parly

French Defense Minister Florence Parly said on Saturday that if the situation in Ukraine worsens, Western countries can politically isolate Russia, stressing at the same time that Paris does not want another Cold War scenario with Russia.

When asked by Le Journal du Dimanche magazine what measures the West can take against Russia, Parly said that some sanctions had already been imposed on Moscow, but they could be toughened further. Russia can also be "politically isolated", according to the Minister.

Furthermore, Parly stressed that "we do not want to return to the Cold War”, adding that the sides should "stay calm" to prevent this scenario.

She also stated that Paris supports the continuation of dialogue with Moscow, which was initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron in 2019.

"Moreover, as part of the meeting between Russian and French defense and foreign ministers last month in Paris, we used the expression of 'large-scale and strategic consequences.' We have an open and sincere dialogue with Russians because we should be able to convey things straight to each other," Parly said.

Ukraine and some Western countries have recently spoken out about alleged Russian troop buildup near the Ukrainian border, which Ukraine itself once denied, accusing Moscow of "aggressive actions". Russia has repeatedly denied all these allegations and stated that it has no plans to invade any country. Moscow sees the claims as a pretext for sending more NATO military equipment and troops to Russian borders.