France: Russia poses persistent threat to Europe

France's military chief Fabien Mandon on Thursday warned that Russia will pose a persistent threat to Europe.

Addressing the French National Assembly's defence committee, Mandon referred to the conflict in Ukraine as an "open war," which he said remains his greatest concern in terms of military readiness.

"This is happening on our continent," Mandon said, adding that Ukrainians have been holding out heroically for four years.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the accusations. "Russia poses no threat to any country that does not plan to undermine the security of the Russian Federation in any way," he said, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.

Moscow has long accused Ukraine of pursuing anti-Russian policies and has cited the protection of Russian-speaking populations as a justification for its invasion.

The French military officer said last year that intelligence available to him suggested Russia was preparing for a confrontation with Western countries by 2030.

"It is organizing for this, preparing for this and is convinced its existential enemy is NATO and our countries," he said, warning that France must be prepared for human casualties and economic consequences.