Ankara: The Russian and French embassies in Ankara have engaged in a social media confrontation regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine.

According to Anadolu Agency, the dispute began on Wednesday when the Russian Embassy in Ankara shared a statement from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on its official account on the US social media platform X. Peskov's remarks emphasized Russia's openness to a political and diplomatic resolution to achieve its objectives, while also suggesting that the war's conclusion depends on Kyiv's actions. The post further accused Paris and London of violating international law by allegedly intending to provide nuclear weapons to Kyiv.

The French Embassy in Ankara swiftly responded on X, highlighting the prolonged nature of the conflict by stating, "We have entered the fifth year of the supposedly three-day war," and criticized Russia's assertion that UK-France deterrence poses a threat.

In reaction to the French Embassy's remarks, the Russian Embassy retorted with a pointed statement, lamenting the perceived decline of French diplomacy to "pitiful and pathetic posts on social media." It accused France of supporting the Ukrainian government, which it described as a Nazi regime responsible for civilian casualties since 2014. The Russian statement also alluded to historical tensions, suggesting the "ghosts of 1812" might still haunt the French government.

Adding to the tensions, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service claimed on Tuesday that Britain and France were actively working to supply Ukraine with a nuclear bomb, supposedly to secure more favorable terms for ending the conflict. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed these allegations on Wednesday, labeling them as pressure tactics ahead of forthcoming peace talks.