Russia says Macron crossed line of decency by calling Putin ‘an ogre’

The comment, made in an interview last week, drew a response from Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

August 29, 2025 09:37 PM IST

1 min read

Russia said on Friday that French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks about Vladimir Putin were inappropriate. (File Photo)

Russia said on Friday that French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks about Vladimir Putin were inappropriate after Macron described the Russian leader as “an ogre at our gates.”

The comment, made in an interview last week, drew a response from Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. She told reporters in Moscow that Macron often made unusual statements and that this time he had “crossed the line of decency.” “This is unworthy of a head of state,” Zakharova said, according to Reuters.

Speaking alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at a press conference, Macron rejected the criticism. He said he was not being vulgar but reflecting how many people in countries attacked by Russia felt.

“When we say there’s an ogre at Europe’s gates, an expression used by many, I think it characterises what the Georgians, the Ukrainians and other nations feel very deeply,” Macron told reporters, as cited by Reuters.

Macron has been a frequent target of criticism from Moscow because of his strong support for Ukraine.

From the homepage