Any activity posing a threat to the security of Russian and foreign citizens and diplomatic missions is unacceptable, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday, TASS reported.
“Ensuring the security of diplomatic missions of other states, namely France in this case, is of the utmost importance to us, along with the security of foreign nationals on our country’s territory,” Peskov said when asked to comment on the statement made by Chechnya’s Mufti Salah-haji Mezhiev, in which he branded French people who support President Emmanuel Macron as enemies.
“We find it necessary for everyone to act in strict accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation, avoiding any actions that could present a threat to foreigners in our country, we find it unacceptable,” the spokesman added, noting that this concerns the safety of Russian citizens as well.
Peskov stressed that he sees no need in continuing the “theological debate” in this sphere, when asked to elaborate on the comments exchanged between head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia Vladimir Zhirinovsky.
“We have said everything that needed to be said on this matter. We do not find it necessary to continue this discussion,” Peskov said. Earlier, the spokesman stressed that Russia’s foreign policy is led solely by its president. This came as a response to Kadyrov’s harsh statements on Macron.
On October 16, Samuel Paty, a history and geography teacher, was decapitated after exhibiting Charlie Hebdo’s caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad during a class, dedicated to freedom of expression. After the killing, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a campaign against followers of radical ideologies and related organizations and promised that France would not renounce publishing the caricatures.
