France, March 6 -- As tensions escalate over the future of Ukraine's defence, Russian officials have slammed French President Emmanuel Macron's stark warnings about Moscow's threat to Europe.

Russia has responded with scorn to French President Emmanuel Macron's televised speech, in which he warned that Russia poses a direct threat to France and Europe.

Senior Russian figures - including lawmakers and former leaders- dismissed Macron's statements as exaggerated fearmongering and accused him of fuelling unnecessary tensions.

Konstantin Kosachev, a senior Russian senator, claimed Macron had fundamentally misinterpreted Russia's actions, arguing that Moscow was merely reacting to NATO expansion rather than pursuing aggression.

"Such an er...