French party chief urges to stop ‘madness’

(MENAFN) Florian Philippot, leader of France's Patriots party, has urged France to end its NATO membership, condemning the "total madness" of escalating tensions between Russia and the West. His remarks came in response to reports that U.S. President Joe Biden had authorized Ukraine to use American-supplied ATACMS missiles to strike inside Russia's pre-2014 borders, particularly in the Kursk Region. Although the White House has not officially confirmed this shift in policy, Philippot expressed alarm over the potential consequences.

In a post on social media, Philippot accused the U.S. "deep state" and President Biden of pushing the world toward World War III before Donald Trump could return to power. He called for "reasonable people" to take control and lead France out of NATO, criticizing the alliance for fueling global instability.

Philippot also shared a video clip from Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who warned that permitting long-range strikes by Ukraine would signify NATO's direct involvement in the conflict with Russia. Zakharova cautioned that such actions could provoke an immediate and severe response from Moscow.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared to welcome the reported U.S. decision in a cryptic statement, implying that any further developments would be made clear through military action. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that if the reports are true, Biden’s decision would mark a significant escalation in tensions, with Russia viewing it as direct NATO involvement in the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously warned that such a shift could dramatically change the nature of the conflict.

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