French Foreign Ministry denies Russian claims about weapons supplied to Kyiv being used in protests

By Umit Donmez and Esra Taskin

PARIS (AA) - The French Foreign Ministry denied Russian claims Thursday that weapons supplied to Ukraine were being used in protests in France.

"I usually do not comment on Mrs. (Maria) Zakharova's unfounded remarks," said spokesperson Anne-Claire Legendre in a news conference, in response to a question by Anadolu. "We provide Ukraine with arms to support its legitimate defense action against illegal Russian aggression on its soil.”

Asked about Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks that the Wagner Group will pursue operations in Mali and Central African Republic, Legendre said it is time for countries who opted to work with Wagner, to dissociate themselves from the group.

"France has already adopted, in the European framework, a series of measures and sanctions against the mercenaries of this mafia group," she added.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed that weapons supplied to Kyiv were being used by those organizing protests because of a teen’s death in France.

"The weapons delivered to Kyiv end up in the hands of the very same protesters and are used against the police there, in France," Zakharova said in Moscow.

In their support for Ukraine, the West and NATO opened Pandora's box, which will hit them like a boomerang, she said.

Nahel M., 17, of Algerian descent, was shot at point-blank range by a police officer in the Paris suburb of Nanterre last week.

Violent protests have since swept France, with pitched battles between police and demonstrators, looting and burning of vehicles and dumpsters in many cities.

*Writing by Nur Asena Erturk in Ankara