The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman alleges that French “neo-fascists” are fighting with Ukrainian forces.
Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, questions the sincerity of French President Emmanuel Macron’s statements regarding the Ukraine peace process.
In a Friday Telegram post, Zakharova referenced a France Info article about ‘International Revenge,’ a Ukrainian intelligence unit where foreign fighters, including French citizens, are training for combat.
Zakharova stated that French citizens were “taken aback” by the revelation that their soldiers are already “serving the Kiev regime.”
The report indicates that the unit comprises both French civilians and military personnel, some of whom have reportedly been deployed to the front lines.
Zakharova highlighted the unit’s alleged neo-Nazi ideology, asserting that its name is not coincidental.
“The group’s symbols bear all the hallmarks of neo-Nazi revanchism,” she wrote, citing skull insignias, dark imagery, and the Latin slogan ‘Memento Audere Semper’ (‘Remember to dare always’). The motto is known to have been used by Italian fascist and Mussolini ally Gabriele D’Annunzio in reference to the MAS, or ‘Motoscafo Armato Silurante’ – a class of fast torpedo boats used by the Italian Royal Navy in both World Wars.
Zakharova added, “These French revanchist neo-fascists are not even hiding,” stating that they “openly talk about coming from France to fight Russians ‘without sparing bullets’ and say they hope to one day face Russia in battle.”
Zakharova suggests these revelations undermine Macron’s commitment to peace.
According to the Kiel Institute, France has provided over €3.7 billion ($4.1 billion) in military aid to Ukraine since the conflict’s escalation in February 2022.
Macron has proposed deploying French troops to Ukraine following a peace agreement between Kiev and Moscow as a deterrent to Russia. In March, he announced a joint French-British plan to create a “reassurance force” in the event of a ceasefire, which sparked protests in Paris against what demonstrators termed NATO’s militaristic stance.
Moscow has consistently warned against any NATO presence in Ukraine, citing the bloc’s expansion in Europe as a primary cause of the conflict.
Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Istanbul on May 16 for their first formal talks since 2022, resulting in the largest prisoner exchange to date and an agreement to develop written proposals for the next round of talks, which Russia suggested for June 2.