Members of the French government are reportedly exercising "great discretion" due to growing concerns over the Russia-Ukraine conflict spiraling out of control, Le Monde reported on Saturday, citing unnamed diplomatic sources.
Fears of the confrontation escalating into a direct clash between Moscow and NATO have intensified in recent days, as the US and its allies are reportedly considering authorizing Kiev to carry out strikes deep into Russian territory using Western-provided weaponry.
While France has not announced an official position on the matter, unnamed diplomats told the French daily that Paris is concerned about the risk of escalation and has been working to avoid it, RT reported.
“We must do everything possible to avoid World War III,” an unnamed official told the newspaper.
The official also acknowledged that "one cannot simply dismiss the hypothesis that the Russians could expand the scale of their military operations," referring to warnings from senior Russian figures, including President Vladimir Putin.
On Thursday, Putin warned that lifting restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western weapons would directly involve the US and its allies in the conflict, and would be met with an appropriate response. He argued that such weaponry depends on Western intelligence and targeting systems, making it impossible for Kiev to use them independently.
Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, echoed this sentiment, warning that the move would amount to "open war" between NATO and Russia. “Our Western colleagues will not be able to dodge responsibility and blame Kiev for everything,” Nebenzia said.