West ´playing with fire´ by discussing sending troops to Ukraine: Kremlin

Western leaders are "playing with fire" by discussing the possibility of sending European troops to Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, reported Xinhua.

"The French president is discussing the idea of sending a foreign contingent. They are all playing with fire," Peskov said on the sidelines of the World Youth Festival, talking about Western leaders that discussed such ideas.

He warned that all this "leads to a further degradation of the situation."

"This is extremely irresponsible behavior for politicians," he noted, reiterating that Russia would continue to work towards achieving its goals, and that the country remained open to achieving these goals through political and diplomatic means.

French President Emmanuel Macron said last month that the possibility of sending foreign troops to Ukraine was being discussed during a conference in Paris. He said that while there was no official consensus among European leaders, the prospect "should not be ruled out." He also said that a new coalition would be set up to supply Kiev with medium- and long-range weapons.