Putin's nuclear threats merely “rhetoric” - French Foreign Minister

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot considers Vladimir Putin's nuclear threats to be nothing more than the rhetoric he has been using for the past few years.

The minister spoke with CNEWS on Wednesday, Ukrinform reports.

"Putin's nuclear threat is a rhetoric he has been using for two and a half years," Barro said.

He added that such words are not new for Europeans.

"This is no surprise for us, since a week ago he announced an update of his doctrine. As the president of the Republic said, Russia needs to return to its commitment before the world as a nuclear country. As a country, it is a permanent member of the UN Security Council," the minister explained.

He repeated that the only person escalating the situation is Putin. At the same time, the minister recalled that in May of last year French President Macron raised the issue in Germany that, should military targets be spotted in Russia, they could be hit in order to prevent their use against Ukrainians.

"This is in the logic of self-defense of our Ukrainian friends, who courageously fight for the integrity of their territory, but also for the safety of Europeans. Yes, we are talking about targets on Russian territory that are used by the Russians to attack Ukrainians," Barrot added.

When asked directly whether France supports long-range missile strikes inside Russia, the minister replied: "This is self-defense. The principle of self-defense is enshrined in international law."

It should be recalled that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, Jean-Noel Barrot, believes that 1,000 days into the full-scale war, Europe's duty is to provide Ukraine with all the resources so that it meets the next year from a position of strength.

Photo: LP/Arnaud Journois