Russia’s ambassador to France was summoned on Thursday to the foreign ministry in Paris. This was after his embassy tweeted a picture claiming to be a film set in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, where the killing of civilians has triggered a global outcry.
The tweet, which has since been deleted, appeared to show people preparing to shoot a film, with the words “Film set, Bucha town” written above the image.
The embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It is the third time in as many weeks that Paris has called in the envoy.
The embassy previously posted a picture depicting a body lying on a table called “Europe” with characters representing the US and EU jabbing needles into it.
“In the face of the indecency and provocation of the communication of the Russian embassy in France on the acts perpetrated in Bucha, I have decided to summon … the ambassador of Russia,” French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement.
President Emmanuel Macron has sought to keep dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He speaks regularly with Putin as part of efforts to get a ceasefire and begin a credible negotiation between Kyiv and Moscow.
Although Macron has faced criticism for maintaining that channel, the French presidency says the contact is at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Macron has defended his continued dialogue with Putin after Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki berated him for talking to the Russian leader, saying that nobody negotiated with Hitler.
“I think it is my duty. It’s neither complicity or naiveté,” Macron said, accusing Morawiecki of backing right-wing candidate Marine Le Pen in France’s presidential election, held yesterday.