Moscow: Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described as manipulative the contradictory position of French President Emmanuel Macron, who claimed to want to resume dialogue with Russia while authorizing hostile actions, including the seizure of the Tagor oil tanker from Russia. Speaking on Sputnik radio, the diplomat denounced what she considered to be an ambiguous strategy by Western countries.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Maria Zakharova claims that these statements and actions are part of an attempt at disinformation and an ambiguous game designed to serve political interests. "This is manipulation, an ambiguous game with an ulterior motive, an attempt to mislead in order to then exploit this for their own interests," says Maria Zakharova, referring more broadly to the rhetoric of Western countries about Russia.

Commenting specifically on the case of Emmanuel Macron, who declared he wanted to revive dialogue with Russia while having the oil tanker Tagor seized, Maria Zakharova describes this position as manipulation. For the spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the main thing is not to think that such a false agenda does not only concern the political, diplomatic or international sphere.

"This substitution of concepts, this distortion of meanings, this veritable distorting mirror of the informational field, is affecting many areas today," she adds.