Reaction to US expressions
Foreign Minister: Russia’s plans for attack “not theoretically”
Updated on March 26th, 2025 – 12:42 p.m.Reading time: 1 min.
France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot sees no purely “theoretical” danger in the fears of a Russian attack. He contradicts Trump consultant Steve Witkoff.
France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot warns of Russian attack plans. The threat from Russian aggression in Europe is “not theoretically”, said Barrot on a trip abroad in Singapore. He reacted to statements by the special envoy of US President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff. The latter had recently reduced the fears of Russian attack plans. Putin did not want to “incorporate all of Europe”, Witkoff had explained. “This is a completely different situation than in World War II – there was no NATO at the time,” he said in an interview.
Western intelligence agencies and security experts have been warning of possible military expansion plans for months, which could specify from 2027 or at the latest by 2030. The basis of the armaments plans of Russian President Vladimir Putin form the basis.
“The aggressiveness of the past three years has went far beyond Ukraine,” said Barrot and accused Russia of “information manipulation” as well as “sabotage files and other attempts to destabilize European countries”.
Witkoff had recently traveled to Moscow twice to talk to Putin personally about an end to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. He didn’t think Putin is a “bad guy”, Witkoff had explained. “This is a complicated situation, this war, and all the ingredients that led to it. You know, it’s never just about one person, right?”
