Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday warned France that Russia has “no more red lines” for the country.
Medvedev, who was head of state between 2008 and 2012 and currently serves as deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, made the comment in a message posted on X (formerly Twitter).
His warning was directed at French President Emmanuel Macron, who earlier in the day reaffirmed Paris’ firm support for Kyiv in its war against Russia’s invading forces while meeting with France’s other party party leaders at the Elysee Palace.
Le Monde reported that after the meeting, Fabien Roussel—national secretary of the French Communist Party—said Macron had expressed how “France’s position has changed” regarding the war, and that “there are no more red lines, there are no more limits.
Medvedev addressed the report from the French newspaper in a threatening X post.
Photos by Mikhail Svetlov/Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
“Macron has said, ‘there are no more red lines, there are no more limits’ in terms of supporting Ukraine (Le Monde). Then that means, Russia has no more red lines left for France,” Medvedev wrote.
The Kremlin official then added, “In hostem omina licita,” a Latin phrase that roughly translates as “everything is legal if it is done to an enemy.”
Newsweek reached out to Macron’s office via email on Thursday night for comment.
Macron has said, “there are no more red lines, there are no more limits” in terms of supporting Ukraine (Le Monde). Then that means, Russia has no more red lines left for France.
In hostem omina licita.
— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) March 7, 2024
Earlier this week, Macron walked back on comments he made a week earlier that were widely interpreted to mean he supported sending NATO soldiers into Ukraine to fight against Russia.
“Nothing should be excluded,” the French President said, following a gathering of Ukraine’s backers in Paris on February 26. “We will do anything we can to prevent Russia from winning this war.”
His comments drew support from some NATO leaders, while the Kremlin issued a statement that declared such a move could lead to a direct conflict between NATO and Russia.
Speaking to the press on February 27, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Western troops becoming involved in the war would result in the “inevitability” of a direct confrontation.
“In that case, it’s not going to be about probability, but inevitability—that’s how we assess it,” Peskov said when asked about the probability of a direct conflict between NATO and Russia if Western troops are sent to Ukraine, according to the Kremlin-controlled outlet Tass.
Medvedev, a longtime close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is known for making inflammatory statements, often involving threats of nuclear war. In January, he went so far as to threaten a nuclear strike on Ukraine if Kyiv attacked missile launch sites on Russian territory.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.