French President Emmanuel Macron has denied that his country had received a warning from the US Central Intelligence Agency about a possible Russian drone attack. The reason for this is a publication by the Spanish publication El Mundo, according to which the United States had warned Spain, France and Italy about a similar scenario.
“We can refute this information. The CIA did not inform the French services about such an attack“, Macron said in a television interview. He added that the situation is becoming increasingly tense and this is causing concern.
Macron: There have been no such attacks in France
The French president said that there has been no drone attack on the territory of the country so far, but such a possibility cannot be ruled out. He recalled an attempted drone attack on the airport in Leipzig, Germany.
“That is why there is a real threat. Russia is stepping up hostile and sometimes criminal actions against European countries“, Macron pointed out. According to him, the mobilization of 300,000 people in Russia is a scenario that France considers plausible.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto also rejected the publication of El Mundo. Meanwhile, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Alexis Grinkevich, said allies had stepped up intelligence sharing amid a spate of sabotage and other incidents suspected of being linked to Russia. He called for calm and confidence.
Atal accuses Le Pen of endangering Europe
Amid the security debate, former French Prime Minister and Vazrazhdane presidential candidate Gabriel Attal attacked Marine Le Pen over her stance on Ukraine.
Le Pen said France could no longer provide the same level of financial assistance to Ukraine due to the country's deteriorating financial situation. In response, Attal accused her of endangering the security of France and Europe.
“Ms. Le Pen's program is clear: to sacrifice our security and hand Ukraine and Europe to Putin on a silver platter,“ Attal wrote.
He added: “Ukraine is our shield. To give it up is to paint a target on ourselves. Russia is waiting for you.“
The dispute is heating up ahead of the 2027 French presidential election, in which Le Pen is among the leading candidates. On September 19, she and the chairman of the “National Unity“ Jordan Bardella have stated a common position on Moscow, while their rivals from the center and left are increasing criticism of the party's policy on Ukraine.
Sources: Ukrainska Pravda, Evropeiska Pravda, RTL