MOSCOW. Feb 5 (Interfax) - France's growing involvement in the situation in Ukraine is leading to further prolongation and escalation of the conflict and endangering the lives of French citizens in the combat zone, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"We certainly paid attention to these latest emotional outbursts 'on the verge of foul' against our country. Without going into the specific details of this incident, which are unknown to us, I will say that the loss of life is always a tragedy," ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a statement published on the ministry's website.
Moscow "has reiterated many times that France's growing involvement in the Ukrainian conflict leads not only to its prolongation and further escalation, but also jeopardizes the lives of French citizens who, imbued with anti-Russian propaganda, go to the combat zone as mercenaries or volunteers with the tacit consent of the authorities," it said.
The French leaders, who are outraged by the deaths of their compatriots, "cynically prefer to turn a blind eye to the fact that the weapons they supply" are used by Kiev to shell Russian cities, resulting in the deaths of civilians, the ministry said.
"Moreover, Paris even tried to justify such atrocities with the 'right to self-defense,' essentially justifying acts of terrorism," Zakharova said in response to a request to comment on statements by the French leadership that Russia was responsible for killing two and wounding three French citizens in Ukraine.
Russian Ambassador in Paris Alexei Meshkov was summoned to the French Foreign Ministry, French media reported earlier. The reports noted that he was summoned following "the deaths of two employees of French humanitarian organizations in Ukraine."