Emmanuel Macron: The Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria is France's Red Line

French President Emmanuel Macron stated on Monday, May 29, during his first joint press conference with his Russian counterpart that the use of chemical weapons in Syria is a red line for France and that such actions will be met with retaliation. According to Reuters, Macron said, "Any use of chemical weapons will face retaliation and immediate action; this is at least important for France." He added that his goal is to fight against terrorism in the country and he seeks cooperation with Vladimir Putin to end it. France and Russia have differing positions regarding the Syrian civil war. While Moscow supports Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, France is part of a U.S.-led Western coalition that supports rebel groups and has accused the Assad regime of using chemical weapons in the past. Macron also mentioned that he had a frank dialogue with Putin and that they disagree on some issues. He criticized what he called the propaganda of Russian state media during the French presidential elections, stating that these media acted as "propaganda" organs during the French electoral campaign. The new French president specifically described "RT" and "Sputnik" as part of the Russian government's structure, which he claimed spreads "fake news." Macron stated that this was why he barred journalists from these two outlets from entering his campaign headquarters during his presidential race. He was able to defeat his rival Marine Le Pen in the May 7 elections. However, Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, denied accusations against Moscow regarding interference in other countries' elections, stating that he had not discussed this matter with his French counterpart and that Macron had not raised it either. He emphasized that during his meeting with Marine Le Pen, Macron's electoral rival, in Moscow, he did not intend to influence the French election voting process. According to the Associated Press, the Russian president described Le Pen as a politician seeking to develop friendly relations with Moscow. Putin stated that it would be unusual for Russia to reject the requests of European politicians who seek to deepen relations. He noted that Russia was well aware of the polls indicating Macron's victory. The Russian president also clarified that he and his French counterpart agreed to have close cooperation in the fight against terrorism. He added that the parties also discussed the situation in Syria, emphasizing the need to strengthen Bashar al-Assad's government, which he deemed necessary in the fight against terrorism.