France’s Macron ‘resents’ Russia over its growing influence in Francophone Africa — Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has zoomed in on his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and his vocal criticism of Moscow’s war on Ukraine, arguing that this “emotional reaction” by the French president is due to “resentment” at losing allies in Africa to the Kremlin.
In an interview published on Wednesday (13 March), Putin said heightened Russian influence especially in some French-speaking African countries has caused Macron’s “emotional reaction”. “I think there is some kind of resentment, but when we maintained direct contacts with him (Macron), we spoke quite openly on this topic,” Putin said and added that Russia did not “go into Africa and force France out,” and that Macron’s main problem has something to do with the fact that Wagner is a Russian organization. The Russian leaders also said that he was not “inciting anyone” and was not setting anyone up against France.
Macron has been one of the most vocal opponents of Russia in recent weeks, saying that there were “no limits” to French support to Kyiv and urging others not to be “cowardly.” But, according to Putin, ”such a sharp reaction, quite an emotional one, from the French president is linked amongst other things with what is happening in African countries.” Tensions between Paris and Moscow over the latter’s growing influence especially in Francophone Africa have risen since the 2010s, when Russian-owned private military group Wagner deployed to areas on the continent traditionally linked to Paris.