Speaking a day after Macron labeled Russia a “threat to Europe” and suggested extending France’s nuclear protection to other European nations, Putin remarked that some people have forgotten the fate of Napoleon.

“There are still those who want to return to the time of Napoleon, forgetting how it ended,” Putin stated in a televised address, though he refrained from mentioning Macron by name.

The Russian leader evoked the 1812 invasion, when Napoleon’s forces advanced deep into Russia, even reaching Moscow, only to suffer catastrophic losses during a brutal winter retreat.

Putin also reiterated his stance on the war in Ukraine, stating that any peace settlement must ensure Russia’s long-term security and development.

“We must choose a peace that suits us, one that guarantees long-term security for our country,” he said while addressing women who lost family members in the war.

When asked by the mother of a fallen soldier whether Russia would back down, Putin was firm in his response: “We don’t need anything else, but we will not retreat.”