MOSCOW / ISTANBUL

The deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council has slammed the idea of deploying NATO troops in Ukraine to be used as a security guarantee, also branding one of the proposal’s top proponents a “brainless Gallic rooster.”

In a Wednesday statement on US social media company X, Dmitry Medvedev reaffirmed Russia’s position against the presence of NATO peacekeepers in Ukraine, noting that Moscow explicitly stated this.

Medvedev, who is also a former Russian president, also accused the person he called a “brainless Gallic rooster” of not being able to let go of this idea.

He added: “But the hoarse, pathetic bird continues to crow to prove it’s king of the coop.”

Evidence suggests Medvedev’s insulting description was meant for Emmanuel Macron, the French president, but he did not mention anyone by name.

Medvedev’s remarks came amid intense diplomatic efforts by US President Donald Trump to mediate a settlement for the nearly 3 1/2-year long Russia-Ukraine war.

These efforts included a key summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week.

Subsequently, the US president hosted his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy and multiple European leaders at the White House on Monday, where they discussed next steps in diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing conflict, including security guarantees for Kyiv.

The following day, Macron, who took part in the Oval Office talks, told French media of the idea of sending “reassurance forces” to Ukraine as a security guarantee.