Russia warned French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday not to threaten it with nuclear rhetoric and, mocking his height by calling him 'Micron', ruled out European proposals to send peacekeeping forces from NATO members to Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the war in Ukraine and European defence during a live television broadcast on Wednesday, emphasising the need for continued support for Kyiv and stronger European military capabilities,

President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to put additional sanctions and tariffs on Russia in a push to get Moscow to the negotiating table to end the war in Ukraine. The president’s comment comes after several weeks of remarks and attitudes that appeared to demonstrate a friendlier posture toward Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin.