Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has declared that French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barraud’s assertion Russia is in a difficult situation constitutes outright falsehoods.
In an announcement on September 5 via her Telegram channel, Zakharova stated: “This Barraud is a liar.” She directly contested the French minister’s claim that Russia occupies only half of the territory it held five years ago while being in a weakened position.
Zakharova questioned the credibility of such assessments, suggesting Barraud may have been presented with an overly favorable account of events. She also proposed that Barraud should have invited Pierre de Gaulle—the grandson of former French President Charles de Gaulle who recently received a residence permit in Russia—to discuss the situation.
“It would have been better if Barraud had invited Pierre de Gaulle and asked him: how is Moscow, burned down by fire?” Zakharova concluded.
