MOSCOW - Russia on May 6 summoned France’s ambassador to denounce the country’s “provocative” policies, following President Emmanuel Macron’s comments that Western troops could be sent to Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said.

The envoy was summoned after “increasingly belligerent statements” by Paris, it said in a statement.

“The Russian side presented its assessment that Paris’ destructive and provocative line is leading to an escalation of the conflict,” it added.

“Attempts by French authorities to create a sort of ‘strategic ambiguity’ around Russia, with their irresponsible declarations on the possible deployment of Western contingents to Ukraine, are doomed to fail,” it said.

In a recent interview with The Economist magazine, Mr Macron said he was “not ruling anything out” in the West’s response to the conflict in Ukraine, including sending troops to the country. AFP