A public exchange between the Russian and French embassies in Türkiye erupted on social media on Feb. 26, briefly stirring diplomatic tensions and underscoring the growing strain over the war in Ukraine.
The row was triggered by claims from Foreign Intelligence Service that the United Kingdom and France were weighing the possibility of equipping Ukraine with nuclear or so-called “dirty bomb” capabilities.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, cautioned that such a step would lead to a nuclear response.
The accusations drew swift backlash and spilled into diplomatic exchanges, largely conducted in Turkish, between the two countries’ embassies in Ankara.
The official X account of the Russian Embassy shared comments by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, saying Moscow remains open to political and diplomatic avenues but that developments hinge on what it described as the actions of the “Kiev regime.”
The post also asserted that any transfer of nuclear weapons to Ukraine would breach international law.
France’s Embassy countered with a sharp retort, noting that what was once portrayed as a three-day war has now stretched into its fifth year, while Russia continues to frame deterrence as a threat.
In response, Russia’s mission issued a statement in French and Turkish, recalling the Napoleonic Wars.
“It is truly sad that the only remnant of France’s famed diplomacy is pathetic and miserable social media posts.”
“We must remind our colleagues that Paris has been one of the main supporters of the Nazi regime in Kiev, which has killed its own civilians, including children and women, since 2014. But perhaps it is still haunted by the ghosts of 1812?”
The rare and highly visible clash between the embassies quickly gained traction online, highlighting the widening geopolitical divide over the conflict in Ukraine.
