NEW YORK (Reuters) -French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday said that plans announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin to declare a partial military mobilisation linked to the war in Ukraine is a “mistake” and will further isolate the country.
“His decision is bad news for Russian people, young people and will increase isolation of his county”, Macron said in New York where he attends various meeting linked to the United Nations General Assembly.
Putin earlier ordered Russian mobilisation to fight in Ukraine and made a thinly veiled threat to using nuclear weapons, in what NATO called a “reckless” act of desperation in the face of Russia’s looming defeat.
Nuclear powers now needed to act responsibly, Macron said in his first comments after Putin’s announcement. He spoke after talks with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
(Reporting by John Irish, writing by Tassilo Hummel)
